


Campfire Confessions

by speechteacher



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-01-23 03:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18540979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speechteacher/pseuds/speechteacher
Summary: Mulder and Scully are undercover as a married couple attending a camping retreat for couples needing marriage counseling.  Their job is to find who is threatening the life of Dr. Jacob Lawrence, marriage counselor.  But they end up discovering so much more.





	1. Wednesday - The Case

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Charnette; ScullyLovesQueequeg](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Charnette%3B+ScullyLovesQueequeg).



> Prompt: M&S out on a case or taking some personal time together...  
> This is my first fanfic. Once I started writing I couldn’t stop. So I have about 7 chapters written. I’m publishing chapter 1 right now and will do the others once I finish the edits! I want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Catebatman - Beta Extraordinaire. This girl is a Rock Star. To Nicole, you saved me more times than you realize. To Charnette, I hope you enjoy this. I'll give you chapter 2 tomorrow.

     Dana Scully and her partner, Fox Mulder, left their basement office quickly after being summoned to A.D. Walter Skinner’s office just moments ago. Experience taught them that when a summons comes directly from Skinner, it was urgent. No words were spoken. That wasn’t atypical behavior for the agents; often, their minds are too full of their own thoughts to talk.

     But, things have been a bit tense lately, at least to Scully. Maybe, “tense” is too strong a word. Perhaps, “uneasy” is better. She glanced at Mulder and confusion creased her face. During her cancer, they had gotten extremely close. She had never felt that strong a connection to another human being as the one she experienced with Mulder as she faced death. The day she was deemed cured was a moment she will never forget. He had grabbed her face and gently kissed her forehead with a tenderness that ripped at her heart; then he laughed with a joy that sang in her soul before loudly kissing both her cheeks. He sat holding her hand in both of his and they just looked at each other; savoring the moment. She knew her beating heart would burst with the intensity of her feelings for him. Unfortunately, the moment ended when her Mom and Bill walked in. But the expectation of hope remained.

     After that, things changed. He started pulling away. Not overtly. He was still “overprotective” Mulder. But it was the little things; the barely there touches, the deep longing looks. She felt, rather than knew, he was trying to temper himself. And she didn’t know why.

     They arrive at Skinner’s floor and walk briskly toward the office. Her heels on the uncarpeted floor sounds louder than usual. The rigorous tempo of her clicking heels captures Scully’s attention. She is impressed with her pace; it is quick and purposeful. She glances at Mulder and grins wondering if he ever notices how fast she has to walk in order to keep up with him. Looking at Mulder’s stride, she can’t help but notice he walks at a nice rate too. But it’s not the speed that impresses her; it’s the strength and determination. They really do make a great team, don’t they? He doesn’t worry if she’s keeping up with him. He knows she is. That is why she appreciates Mulder; he sees her as his equal.

     “Scully?” Mulder had stopped at Skinner’s door and noticed she was several feet behind him, looking at her feet. “Everything OK?”

     “What do you mean?”

     “You looked like you were a million miles away. And you suddenly started walking slow back there.” He laughed.

     “Huh. I didn’t think you’d notice.” She walks past him into Skinner’s waiting room.

     “ _What_?” He didn’t get to continue as Skinner’s assistant guide them into the office immediately. Scully sits in her usual seat with Mulder next to her; still with a slight look of confusion on his face. He fears Scully is upset about something, what has he done now?

     “Mulder? Are you with us?” Skinner got Mulder’s attention. “Yes, Sir.” Mulder forces himself to focus on his boss.

     “Agents, I’m asking for your complete discretion with what I am about to tell you.”

     “Of course, sir.” Scully immediately responds. Mulder nods his concurrence.

     “I am asking you to work on a case that is not in FBI’s Jurisdiction. The director met with me privately last evening and asked for a personal favor. He requested a pair of agents who could function as bodyguards as well as undercover investigators. However, the FBI will deny any knowledge of your actions and you will receive no assistance or backup from the FBI.”

     “That’s normal for us, sir.” Mulder quipped sarcastically.

     Skinner glares at him but chooses to ignore his comment. “Nobody in the FBI knows you will be working this case except for the two of you and me. In fact, according to FBI records, you are on vacation. The director doesn’t even know who I have selected. I have outside operatives making the arrangements.” The agents glance at each other with an air of trepidation. Skinner cleared his throat. “Dr. Jacob Lawrence is a world-renowned marriage counselor. There have been several unsuccessful attempts on his life. He refuses any type of protection from either the police or from private entities. Which is why my source wants this to be handled discreetly and outside any type of bureaucratic purview. Your primary responsibility is to make sure Dr. Lawrence is safe. If you learn anything that shines a light on the perpetrator, keep it to yourself and report only to me. Under no circumstances is Dr. Lawrence to know you are there as protection.”

     “Sir,” Scully began, “if he’s refusing help, how can we effectively protect him discreetly?"

     “You’re going undercover. Dr. Lawrence regularly has exclusive camping trips for select couples seeking marriage counseling. It’s very luxurious and private. It’s supposedly very effective and has a high success rate of saving marriages. It lasts about a week and a trip is coming up. The waiting list is normally very long, but we arranged for the two of you to be included.”

     “As staff, sir?”

     “No, Agent Scully, you are going undercover as a married couple whose marriage needs saving. Your backstory is included in the folder. Here are your wedding rings. Your names are William and Katherine Morgan. Be at the Shenandoah National Park Lodge on Friday 10:00 a.m. You will meet Dr. Lawrence and the other campers. Your backpacks are by the door. This is all you are expected to take so pack your personal items in that. Dr. Lawrence provides each couple with a tent and Aero Bed. Linens for the tent will be provided as will towels, food and drinks. Dr. Lawrence has two assistants that help make you as comfortable as possible. Take today and tomorrow to familiarize yourself with the material and prepare for your assignment. Any questions, Agents?” Scully and Mulder look a bit overwhelmed.

     Mulder finally says, “I don’t have any questions at this time, after we review the materials, we might ….”

     “Remember, do not discuss this with anybody but me. Clear?” The agents nodded.

     They walk slowly back to the basement; each consumed with their own thoughts. Scully fixates on an image of one tent for the two of them. She muses to herself, at least there will be a tent, maybe two sleeping bags. She remembers the time she and Mulder were stuck in the forest overnight. Mulder’s words echo in her head, _“I was told once that the best way to regenerate body heat is to crawl naked into a sleeping bag with somebody else who's already naked.”_ Scully shivered.

    Mulder was trying not to think about sharing sleeping quarters with Scully. Although, he remembered how his heart soared the night he spent in the forest with Scully. He remembered her soft voice saying, _“Well, maybe if it rains sleeping bags, you'll get lucky.”_ He grinned at the memory. She glances up at him and wonders what he was grinning at.

It’s going to be an interesting week.

To Be Continued


	2. Thursday - The Plan

     “So, Scully, it says here that we have been married for less than a year but neither of us feel like we are connecting anymore.” Scully waited for more, but Mulder put the file down and started studying another one.

     “That’s it?  That’s all it says?”   

     “What else did you want?  A description of our wedding night?”  Mulder was definitely enjoying this too much.

     “ _No_ , but more details.  Like, how did we meet?  How long did we date?  And what does it mean we aren’t connecting?” Scully was frustrated at the lack of information about their undercover personas.

     “So, we make something up.” He looked at her with his sexiest grin. “How about the sex is so good we crave it constantly and can’t leave the house?” He waggled his eyebrows but Scully was unaffected.

     “You are not taking this seriously, Mulder.”

     “Sure I am. This is an extremely important part of this case.  So, be sure and tell me what you come up with.”  Mulder moved on to Google Dr. Lawrence on his computer.

     “Mulder, we need to get this right and be on the same page.  Let’s focus on this.”  '

     Mulder sighed and pretended to give her his undivided attention.  “I’m all yours, Agent Scully.  Oops, I’m sorry.  I’m all yours, _Pooh Bear_.”  

     “ _Mulder!_ ” she barked a little harsher than she intended.  “If you remember from your days at the academy, we learned that when going undercover, the closer to the truth we stay, the easier it is. So we could…”

     Mulder interrupted with a grin, “Well, _Jelly Bean_ , if we stay close to the truth, then we have to admit we have no problems at all, right?”  Scully tossed the file down but Mulder continued. “Why don’t we just be us and see what happens.”  He gave her a quick “air kiss” before going back to watching a video interview with Dr. Lawrence. Scully scowled at him; irritation creasing her forehead.

     They left work early to pack some clothes and prepare to assume the persona of William and Katherine Morgan.  Scully’s cell phone rang at 11:35 P.M. She sighed.   _Mulder_.  “What do you want?”

     “Scully, did you come up with our backstory?”

     Scully paused and replied with sarcasm she didn’t try to hide.  “Yes.  Of course.  Don’t I always?”

     He chuckled, “What is wrong with you?”

     “Nothing, just … you aren’t taking this seriously. This is an assigned case and you’re goofing around“ Scully insisted.

     “ _Pooh Pooh_ , I’m hurt” He uttered in his ridiculously sexy voice.  

     She sighed in irritation, “Yes, I have our backstory. We met last June, eloped in Vegas on the fourth of July, and have been married for nine months.  We barely knew each other and have had trouble getting into a marital rhythm.  Sound OK?”

     There was no answer.  “Mulder?”

     “Oh, sorry, I was watching the last few minutes of the game.  What’d you say?”  Scully hung up the phone.  It was going to be a long week.

     Friday morning, Mulder arrived at her apartment at 7:00 A.M.  Usually, he walks up to her apartment, but this morning, she was standing on her stoop. _Uh oh, shouldn’t have watched the end of the game_ , he thought.

     “Hey, I would have…“ He began, but she was already heaving her backpack into the trunk and marching to her place in the front seat.  “I’m sorry about last night, Scully. I actually heard what you said about our backstory. I was just messing with you.”  Scully looked over at him and his puppy dog eyes did their typical number on her insides. As usual, her anger melted and she gave him a small smile, “It’s OK, Mulder. I was just tired last night.”

     They drove toward the Shenandoah National Park and discussed the merits of the case.

      “Apparently, Lawrence has been shot at once and mugged twice. Each time, something interrupted the assault. Lawrence would never press charges and didn’t accept police assistance. In fact, he wouldn’t cooperate with the investigation at all,” Mulder explained.

     “Why?  That doesn’t make sense.”

     Mulder shrugged his shoulders as he popped a sunflower seed into his mouth. Scully continued,  “Do you think he’s part of it?  Maybe to cover up for someone he knows?”

     “I don’t know. Maybe. What little information the police gathered was pretty much worthless.”

     “What about the other couples that are going to be there?”

     “We have their names and a background check was done which gave us nothing.  The paperwork about them provided by Lawrence just lists typical marital complaints.  Adultery, she spends too much money, he’s lazy, you know … normal stuff.” Mulder gave her a grin.

     “My gut tells me that Lawrence is covering up for someone. But who?”

     “I don’t know, Scully. I’m more concerned about why we were assigned to this. The police have nothing. The Bureau has nothing. The victim isn’t complaining. And they don’t want us actively investigating.  If we happen to find something, then _yippee_. Otherwise, we’re just supposed to protect him without letting him know that’s what we’re doing.  Doesn’t sound like a bad deal except we’re going undercover with no backup, no evidence, our weapons out of sight, our phones hidden and I have no way of getting the game scores.  Does any of this make sense to you?”

     “Paranoid much, Mulder?

     “Of course, I am.  Do you even know me?”  

     Scully laughed at that.  “Mulder, I actually agree with you.  It doesn’t make sense why we were assigned. Maybe it’s being filmed to be used to embarrass us. You know they’d love to come up with something to use against us.  We just need to act naturally and keep our eyes open." Scully paused before adding, “I’ll tell you this, though, I’d like to know who the higher up is that requested this _special favor_.”

     “If nothing else, William and Kate will get to spend some time relaxing, eating fine food and indulging free therapy.”

TO BE CONTINUED

 


	3. Friday - The First Session

     The agents arrived at the Big Meadow Lodge where they were greeted enthusiastically by Dr. Jacob “call me Jake” Lawrence.  Jake was a man of 60 who looked at least 10 years younger. He was tall, maybe six feet tall and in excellent shape. His ab muscles proudly presented themselves under his tight t-shirt as his cashmere sweater hung loosely around his neck. His salt and pepper hair was styled a little longer than a man his age would normally wear and his trimmed beard simply accentuated the youthful vibe attempting to defy his age. He was friendly and grabbed their hands with a zeal that was a little frightening. It was obvious he knew who they were; he put his arms around them both as he vowed that this experience would change their lives.  He released them quickly and eagerly introduced his two assistants, Jess and Maya. The pair were college students interning with Dr. Jake. Neither one of the aides smiled and merely indicated the agents should follow them outside to the golf carts.

      Mulder mouthed, “golf carts?", while Scully whispered, “drugs?”  

     There were six golf carts waiting for them with a sign that said MORGAN on one of then, Maya pointed to it and said, “Your luggage has already been taken to the campsite. Your tent has been set up.  The campsite has plenty of food, drinks and any linens you may need. A shower and restroom area is not far from the tents which includes any toiletries you may require. If you wait here, we are waiting for two more couples to arrive then we will all go to the campsite at the top of the mountain together.”

     Mulder looked around and saw two other couples looking as lost as he and Scully did. Mulder held out his hand, “Hi, I’m William and this is my wife, Katherine.”    

     “Please, call me Kate.” Scully instructed as the six of them shook hands during the introductions.

     “I’m Tim; this is Carla”

     “Corbin and Lisa”

     Scully asked them, “Have any of you attended one of these retreats before?”

     They all shook their heads but Tim replied, “No, but we have friends that did and it changed their lives.” Scully swore she saw his wife Carla roll her eyes.    

     Mulder asked, “So, none of you are patients of Dr. Lawrence?”

     Lisa laughed, “Dr. Lawrence doesn’t see patients.  His method of therapy is with these retreats and seminars.  Do you not know who he is?”

     Scully blushed, “Uh…I’ll be honest, it was my mother that arranged for all of this. She thinks...” she looks at Mulder, “she thinks it will help.”

     “We don’t need any help, Kate.  I told you that.”

     “Yes, I know you said that.  But just humor me, OK?” Her testiness made the other couples snicker a little, especially when Mulder exaggerated rolling his eyes.

     Lisa reached out and touched Scully’s hair. “You have got the most beautiful hair. I have to ask, is it natural?”

     Mulder laughed as Corbin said under his breath, “good grief, Lisa.”

     Scully simply smiled and replied, “Uh...yes.  Yes, it is. All mine. From birth.”

     Lisa shook her head.  “I’d kill to have that color.  I’ve tried various shades, but nothing quite as vibrant as that."

     The remaining two couples came out of the lodge with the two attendants followed by Dr. Jake who animatedly greeted the group.  “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our Marriage Camping Retreat. I’ve been doing this for six years and the success rate has been tremendous.  I am anxious to get to know you and start changing your lives.  Please get into the golf cart assigned to you. You will be driven to our mountain top campground by a staff member of the lodge.  It is my intent to give you a beautiful, relaxing experience so you can focus on making your marriage rewarding and fulfilling. Jess, Maya and I will lead the pack.  So, please, head to your golf cart.”

     The ride up the mountain was stunning. It was May and the weather was cool but not cold. The trees were proudly sporting their green glory and the mountain views were like living poetry.  The mountain air blew in their face as they traversed up the mountain. Mulder looked over at Scully and saw a slight smile touch her beautiful mouth. 

     “Why are you smiling, Kate?”  He’d better start getting used to her “name”.  

     “It’s so beautiful, Will.  I’ve always been an ocean gal, but I had forgotten how overwhelming the mountains and trees are.”  

     Mulder looked at her a little while longer, then smiled himself. “I don’t know if I ever told you, but I love the smell of fresh air.” He declared.

     She leaned into him, “me too.  You know what else? I love the wind in my face.”

     Mulder smiled as he continued to look at Scully; Mesmerized by the look of pure joy on her face.  He spoke softly, “Kiss me, wind and mountain air,” Scully suddenly looked up at him as he continued. “Blow upon my cheeks and hair, Unpolluted, crisp and clean, Scented with the evergreen.”  

     “That’s lovely. And perfect. Did you write that?.” She gazed at him with gentle eyes as he laughed.

     “I wish. It’s a poem by Henry Klassen. I bought an oil painting for my mom and that was written on it.”

     “I bet your mom loved it.”

     He paused, “I don’t know. I never saw it again.”  

     He looked out at the trees that were becoming more plentiful.  They were silent as they breathed in the exquisite view. They occasionally saw other campers scattered around; some in smaller campgrounds, a few in rustic cabins and one fairly large group campground.

     They finally arrive at their destination and the agents are enthralled. Scully reaches over to take Mulder’s hand as they take in the spectacular view.  Resting next to their campsite is an exquisite alpine lake enveloped within an incredible forest of Northern Red Oak trees. Mirrored in the depths of the deep blue lake is the majestic mountain situated behind it.  

     “Scully.”  Mulder whispered. She looked at him and gave him a look he couldn’t quite read.

     “I know.”

     Dr. Jake interrupted their solitude by instructing the group to go to the tent with their name on it, look around, unpack and get settled in. If anybody needs the restroom, there are luxurious bathroom facilities on the south side of the campsite. He then requested they meet at the unlit campfire in one hour.

      The agents found the tent assigned to them and were stunned. Expecting a simple small tent, what greeted them was a large, canvas, Safari tent. It measured about fourteen feet across. It was sitting on an extended, permanent wooden platform that served also as a deck which housed two rocking chairs. The tent flaps were open which allowed them to see a queen sized aero bed that was about eighteen inches tall. The bed had large pillows with what looked like silk pillow cases. Upon further inspection, they saw the bed was,indeed, made with silk sheets and covered with a thick, old-fashioned quilt.  The tent had two screened windows and zip-down flaps. The tent was furnished with bedside tables, two director’s chairs, a small desk, storage trunk and coat hooks. The tents were also provided with a small heater and camping lamps. They found their backpacks sitting on top of the desk.

     “I finally understand the term, glamping.” Mulder declared.  

     “Glamping?”

     “Glamorous camping”

     “It sure is better than the majority of motel rooms we’ve been stuck with.”

     Next to the opening, they found a standard size ice chest full of cold water, a few sodas, some beer, cheese, olives, and fruit.  Next to the ice chest was a tote bag with crackers, candy, chips, and trail mix. Scully started unpacking her backpack and a big grin split Mulder’s face when she put a large bag of sunflower seeds in the snack tote.

     The group all met at the unlit campfire and saw five cushioned double lawn chairs; the size of a loveseat. They found the one with their name and sat cozily while Dr. Jake announced it was a good time for them to get to know each other.    

     “You all know who I am.  I have specialized in marriage counseling my entire career, writing many books on the subject.  I gave up private practice to focus on these campfire retreats, seminars and conventions. You’ve met my assistants Maya and Jess.  Now, let’s meet you. Starting on my right, Tim and Carla.”

     Tim suddenly looked uncomfortable but Dr. Jake laughed.  “Don’t worry, ladies and gentlemen, we aren’t going to dig into your problems right now, just tell us a little about who you are and what do you want to accomplish here. But, as we do proceed through our conversations, I do need you to be honest.  It is only through honesty that healing can begin. Remember, there is no judgment here. We are all friends wanting to help each other through this experience. Now, Tim, introduce yourself.”

     Tim clears his throat, “well, I’m Tim and this is my wife Carla.  We’ve been married 7 years. I’m a corporate accountant and Carla doesn’t work. We have two kids, 3 and 6.  Uh, I guess we’re at that seven-year point where we want to make sure our marriage stays strong,” Carla simply looked down, never saying a word.

     “Excellent.” Dr. Jake says.  “Next?”

     “I’m Lisa and this is Corbin.  We’ve been married thirteen years.  He runs an auto repair shop. I am _very_ busy with my store, _Lisa’s Loft_.  I sell unique home decor. It’s on the square in the town we live in and I have customers from all over the state come to see my stuff.  I’m really making a name for myself and loving every minute of it.”

     Corbin looked at her assuming she would continue. When she didn’t, he stated with a subtle hint of frustration, “We also have three kids; five, seven and ten.”

     Lisa jumped back in, “My girls are being courted to compete in the Little Miss contest. They’re so poised and beautiful.”

     Dr. Jake contemplated them for a moment, “And you want to accomplish what, Lisa?”   

     “I don’t know, Dr. Jake,  Ask Corbin.”   

     “Corbin?”

     Corbin looked at his wife with complete disdain. “She knows why.”

     Dr. Jake paused and thought it might be a good time to move on. “Very good” Dr. Jake exclaimed, “next?”

     “We’re”

     “We are”, the next couple spoke at the same time and laughed.  

     “Go ahead darling”,

     “No, you go ahead, sweetheart."

     Mulder looked at Scully trying not to barf.  She tried not to laugh as she pinched him. They both tried to focus on the "loving" couple.

     “I’m Jeff.”    

     “And I’m Belinda, We’ve been married twenty years.  We chose to be childless and focus only on our marriage and our work.  I’m a Chemist and Jeff is an Anesthesiologist. We feel that to be our very best being, we need to continually work on ourselves. We regularly go to therapy and felt that this campfire retreat could take us to another level.”

     Jeff continued, “A level that manifests itself with an extra sensory realization where words are no longer necessary and our internal cells will reach out and attach themselves to our other being.”

     Dr. Jake looked a little confused, but recovered quickly.  “Terrific. Next?”

     Mulder looked at Scully with fear.  Partly, because he was sitting next to Belinda and didn’t want her cells jumping his.  Scully smiled and slightly nodded her head. “Hi, I’m Katherine, _Kate_ , and this is my husband, William. I am a pediatric surgeon and Will is an investigative journalist.  We, uh, we met...last year and eloped to Las Vegas at Thanksgiving. We’ve been married 6 months now. And…we are having a little trouble connecting with each other due to my crazy work schedule and Will’s crazy travel schedule.” Scully looked at Mulder, her eyes saying, “ _I forgot the details we came up with._ ”  

     “Excellent” Dr. Jake said, “And finally?”

     “I’m DeeDee and Patrick is my husband, just call us Dee and Pat.  I’m a college professor and Pat is retired.  We have 2 kids that are grown, 3 grandkids and a houseful of rescue cats that we adore. We’ve been married thirty years and we’re having a little trouble adjusting to our newly retired life.”

     “Thank you all very much. I think we’re going to have a wonderful time. Now, Maya and Jess have set out a lovely lunch for you of sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans and chips. After you have eaten, you have the afternoon free to stay here and read, we have a wide variety of books and magazines. Or, you can walk around and explore or take a relaxing nap. I will be here at the campsite if anybody wants to talk privately with me.  Please be back by 6:00 where we will have dinner and then our evening session.”    

     Scully said, “Will, do you want to hang around here?  Maybe read?”    

     “OK. Hey, I thought we eloped on the fourth of July."  

     “I _know_. I forgot!!” Scully admitted. "It’s OK, it worked out, I think.”

     After finding their reading material, they setting in cushioned recliners under the trees. They kept an eye on Dr. Jake behind their sunglasses and after an hour of absolutely nothing happening, Mulder declared, “I’m going to stretch my legs.”  Scully nodded and said she would stay there and read.    

     They met up in the tent a few hours later so they could dress in comfy sweatpants and sweatshirts. Mulder grumbled that today was a bust.  “I don’t know, Will. I finally made it to chapter 2 of The Street Lawyer and it’s actually pretty good.”    

     “The Street Lawyer?”    

     “John Grisham.  The really interesting thing is how much time Dr. Jake spent with the unemployed Carla without Tim.  Then, Lisa and Corbin left their tent arguing and disappeared somewhere. They didn’t notice me, but Dr. Jake kept watching them.”    

     “Kate, you’re a voyeur.”  She smiled and they went outside holding hands.

     Dinner was soon announced and it featured a delectable sea bass with seasoned rice, cole slaw, and broccoli.  Mulder ate like he had not eaten in days. He filled his plate twice and finished by chowing down on the pear cobbler. Scully is not a fan of fruit cobbler, so she gave hers to Mulder. The conversation was light and consisted mostly of the beauty of their surroundings. Lisa proved to be quite the chatterbox, focusing completely on Dr. Jake. Corbin ate in silence; as did Carla and Tim while Jeff and Belinda fixated on each other. Thankfully, the agents sat across at a separate table across from Dee and Pat and found they enjoyed chatting with the personable older couple.    

     “What did the two of you do this afternoon?” Dee inquired.

     “I found a John Grisham I had not read. I suspect Will napped.” Scully grinned at her partner who did not deny the accusation.    

     “Guilty. This mountain air is incredibly relaxing.” Mulder declared.    

     Pat laughed, “I hear ya, buddy. Best sleep I ever had. Where did you get off to Dee?”    

     “Well, I was taking a little walk to the lake and who should come up behind me?  Miss “look how wonderful I am” and her poor husband.  They were having a doozy.”      

     Scully grinned, “tell me more!”    

     “Apparently, he has had it with her _hoity toity_ attitude and her incessant flirting with all the men here.”    

     Mulder laughed, “not all of us.”    

     Pat agreed, “That’s the truth.” The men continued to chat finding they had much in common starting with their love of the Yankees and the Knicks.  

     Dee continued her story about Lisa and Corbin. “He told her he had wanted to save their marriage for the kids’ sake and believed Lisa did too, but he doesn’t feel that now. That’s when they turned and I couldn’t hear anymore.”    

     Their conversation was interrupted by Dr. Jake who asked everybody to go to the campfire for the evening session. When everybody got settled, he began,” Ladies and Gentlemen. We’re going to start with the big elephant in the room. Or, should I say the elephant at the campsite.” He laughed, “I want each one of you to rate your sex life. Ten is the best ever and zero is, well, it’s non-existent.  Let start with Pat and Dee. Pat, you go first.” They both looked a bit petrified.  

     Pat began, “I’d say,“ he glanced at Dee with a hint of regret. “I guess if I am honest, I’d have to say…zero.”  

     Dee gave him a sad smile, “It OK, love. I agree, Pat. Zero.”

     “Dee and Pat, let’s talk about that”. For the next ten or 15 minutes, Dee and Pat describe how Pat’s retirement was really a layoff and they had not planned to leap into retirement mode at this point in their lives.  It affected them both greatly.

     Mulder listened intently while Scully knew they were next and wondered what in the world she would say. She and Mulder have never had sex. At least, not in real life. In her head, well, it’s happened many times.  She slyly grinned. She knew how she would rate those. But she decided she would stay as close to the truth as possible. Whatever the truth is.

     “William and Kate?  William, you go first.”

     “Our sex life?   _Ten!_ Ten and a half.  Without a doubt. Kate?”   

     Scully paused for a moment looking at Mulder.  “Well, if I’m honest, I would say it’s a five.”

     “WHAT?”  Mulder sat straight up, obviously stunned!  “ _Five?_ No way, Kate. Come on.”

     “Kate, do you want to explain...” Dr. Jake started but Mulder interrupted.

     “I can see maybe an eight, possibly a seven and a half, but a five?  I don’t understand.” Mulder was sincerely upset.

     “Will.  We’ve been married six months.  You’ve been on the road for more than half of that time. I’m alone a lot.”

     Mulder interrupted again “I call you every night I’m gone.  And we’ve had some, you know, interesting phone calls.”  He smiled and winked.   

     “I’m not saying it’s bad, Will.  I’m saying that sometimes, I need more.”

     “More _what?_  I…”

     “Will, please listen to me.  To you, sex is intense physical satisfaction.  It’s so intense sometimes, that I wonder if you even know it’s me you’re…you know.”

     “ _What?_  You don’t think I know I’m making love to you? You’re kidding, right?”

     “NO, I’m not saying you don’t know it’s me”

     “That’s what you said.”

     “William, will you listen to me, will you let me finish?  You had a very active sex life before we married. And our sex life is powerful and very sexual. And it’s exciting. But I get the feeling that you would be the same way in bed no matter who you’re with.  That it doesn’t have to be me.” Mulder stared at her.  She wanted to tell him they were playing a part. But if she’s honest with herself, she has to admit that she’s thought about sex with Mulder. He had a reputation as a player. He has those videos that aren’t his.  She imagines that he’s powerful and intense and she would completely lose herself in his passion. She’s never really articulated it to herself, but when she thinks about sleeping with Mulder, she actually fears that he would overwhelm her.  Or, she would disappoint him.

     And there it is. The real fear. What if she’s not enough? What if she can’t measure up to Phoebe or anybody else that may be lurking out there. She implores herself to pull herself together. She thought, “ _Dana, you’re just playing a part.  I’ll wait until we are alone and remind him of this._ ” She sneaks a peek at Mulder and he looks like she just ran over his dog.

     “William, do you have any comments to what Katherine said?” Dr. Jake implored. Mulder looked at her and silently shook his head. Dr. Jake paused and wanted to say more, but moved on to the next couple.

     Mulder and Scully tried to listen. Jeff and Belinda both rated their sex lives at ten.  Mulder wanted to make a snide remark to Scully, but he wasn’t feeling like it at the moment. Lisa refused to rate Corbin because he always coming to bed with the smell of grease. It’s not appealing. Corbin simply said “my rating? Negative infinity”.

     Lisa wouldn’t even look at him. Carla just shook her head and Tim seemed irritated “I don’t know. Four.”  

     Dr. Jake was unhappy with this little exercise.  He talked to them a few minutes about intimacy and honesty but Mulder and Scully were lost in their own thoughts.  Mulder wonders if those are her real thoughts? Does she really believe he has mindless sex with anybody? He hasn’t been a monk, and admittedly, there were some women where it was strictly a physical act, albeit a pleasurable one.  But that’s what the women seemed to want and expect. But when he was in a relationship, as rare as was, it wasn’t that way. Not with Phoebe, or Diana. And it wouldn’t be with Scully, if they were in a relationship. Is she thinking he’s so narcissistic that he can’t make love with a woman? Can’t please her? Share the greatest physical act a person can have with someone he loves?  Mulder suddenly shivered. Where did that come from? He cleared his throat and told himself, “ _She’s playing a part. That’s it. A part. And she’s darn good at it.”_

     The demeanor of the group was tense when Dr. Jake got everyone’s attention.  “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s lighten things up and bit. Our next question is, what made you fall in love with your spouse?”  He started at the other end that time and both Mulder and Scully tried to listen to the answers, but the hostility between Tim and Carla and Corbin and Lisa was stifling. None of them could answer the question.  Corbin and Carla didn’t even try. Jeff and Belinda answered using words nobody could understand. Then it was their turn.

     “Kate?” She jumped when she heard her name. “ _Darn_ ”, she thought, “ _I’m not ready._ ” “What made me fall in love with Will?”  She looked at him and smiled, of course she knew the answer.  “His passion about his work. His smile. His eyes. The way he makes me laugh even when he’s not funny. The fact that I know without a doubt that he’d die for me.  The way he trusts me unconditionally and makes me trust him. The way I feel when he looks at me." She stopped and looked down, suddenly embarrassed.  Mulder’s heart suddenly leapt.    

   “What made me fall in love with Kate?” He looked deep into her eyes. “Her beautiful blue eyes.  They make me want to drown in them. Her laugh. She doesn’t do it often, but when she does it makes my heart explode. Her tenaciousness. She never gives up.  She never claims weakness. She demands respect without saying a word. And those luscious lips. They are what my dreams are made of.” They smiled at each other and each looked down suddenly, feeling exposed.  

    They tried to listen to Dee and Pat express their deep love for each other, but they were feeling too raw from their own answers.  Not knowing if it was an act or if some of it was real. Hoping it was, even a little bit.

     The group broke apart and the couples went to their tents suddenly very sleepy. Mulder claimed he could barely keep his eyes open. He noticed Dr. Jake go to his tent and took a little strolled around the campsite. After deciding everything was safe, he was embarrassed at how sleepy he was.  Scully admitted she was wide awake, so she grabbed a blanket and made herself comfortable by the window in their tent. “You sleep; I’ll keep an eye out Mulder.”    

     “Thanks, Kate. By the way, you did a great job tonight.  I had no idea you were so good at acting.”

     “You too, William.  We seem to have a knack for this.”  They both laughed.

     “Maybe the hard part is over, Kate.  I think we do better when we don’t prepare in advance.  Don’t you?”

     “Sure.  G’night Mulder.”

     “G’night, Scully."

     Mulder went to sleep immediately. Scully tried reading and eventually watched as Lisa snuck out of her tent at 2:30 a.m. and went directly to Dr. Jake’s.  Scully quietly checked out the situation. It didn't take long before she figured it out. She dressed for bed and settled next to Mulder. Lying next to him brought terrifying and exciting feelings. She lay there for a while, listening to his light snore and just looking at his gorgeous face. She focused on his mouth that was slightly open and thought, “ _It really is going to be an interesting week._ ”

 

TO BE CONTINUED.


	4. Saturday - The Hike (Morning Session)

     Scully opened her eyes thinking she was at her Mom’s house. The tantalizing aroma of fresh ground coffee, crisp bacon and sizzling sausage transported her to her bedroom in San Diego where such smells were a daily occurrence. Consciousness wrapped her, however, in confusion. “ _This is not mom’s house.  And this isn’t mom’s arm laying on my stomach_ ”, she thought. She slowly turned her head and found herself, literally, nose to nose with Mulder.  She allowed herself a few moments to just watch him. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were firmly shut. There was an innocence about him in his state. One with no conspiracies haunting him, no secrets, no missing sister, just pure, restful sleep. She gently moved out from under his arm and got out of bed, not daring to indulge in any more thoughts. She dressed quickly and walked out to the campsite.  

     Dee enthusiastically waved at her. “Good morning, Kate!” Scully smiled and joined her and Pat at the buffet table.  

     “Where’s your better half?” Pat inquired.

     “Still sleeping.”

     “Last night was the best sleep I have ever experienced.” Pat explained.  

     “We were asleep by the time our heads hit the pillow.” Dee stated while she filled her plate to the brim.  

     “Can you believe this spread?” Pat said while trying to fit a fluffy biscuit on his crowded plate. “Darn, I don’t have room to put my gravy, Dee.”  

     Dee laughed and said, “pour it on your biscuit.”  Scully grinned and focused on what to choose from the massive buffet that included; scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, hash browns, grits, oatmeal, toast, biscuits, English muffins, fruit, gravy, French toast and cereal.  

     “I don’t know where to start.” Scully giggled.

     “You could start by giving your hubby a good morning kiss.” She jumped at Mulder’s voice and whirled around to see him standing way too close; looking way too sexy, waggling his eyebrows. She pursed her lips and gave him “the look” she had perfected over the years and that’s when she saw it; the challenge in his eyes.  Oh, Mulder. You should know by now that Dana Scully never runs from a challenge.  She shook her head slightly then reached up and planted a quick, full lipped kiss on his delicious lips.

     “You ready for breakfast, _poopy-head_?” she asked laughing at his totally stunned look. He quickly pulled himself together and took her in his arms.

     He whispered in her ear, “you continue to surprise me, _Pop Tart_.” 

     She looked at the massive buffet.  “No pop tarts here.” 

     He finally noticed the serving table and pure joy filled his face.  “Wow.” He grabbed a plate and didn’t let anything on that table go untouched.  Scully laughed. Seconds ago she surprised him with a kiss, he pulled her in his arms but the instant he saw the buffet, all else disappeared.  

     “William, we saved a spot for you.” Pat announced. Mulder set two full plates of food next to Scully.   She couldn’t believe the sheer quantity of food.

     “Will, did you leave anything for the others?”

     Mulder laughed, “it’s this fabulous mountain air.  It makes me hungry.” 

     “Pat and I were talking about how we didn’t know what to expect. It feels more like a luxurious vacation than a marriage retreat. I’m still a little uncomfortable sharing so much of our lives in front of strangers.”

     Scully nodded, “Me too, Dee.  But once I got to talking, I couldn’t stop!  It was strange.”   While Scully and Dee talked about yesterday’s therapy, Mulder and Pat discussed what was wrong with the _Damn_ _Yankees_.  The other couples sporadically joined them and the conversation at the dining table was simple and light.  Carla was quiet, as usual. Tim looked like he could go to sleep at the table.  Jeff and Belinda were wrapped in each other’s arms while Corbin ate without Lisa.  She eventually joined them but was uninterested in food.  Dr. Jake was the last to arrive and sat next to Jeff and Belinda.  He entertained them by telling stories of crazy experiences he had when he first started doing the 6campfire counseling.  

     Soon, they were in their dual chairs when Dr. Jake got their attention.

     “Ladies and gentlemen. Our early session is a two parter. For the first part, I want you to think of a song that reflects the truth of your marriage.  I’ll give you just a second to think about it and we’ll start with Dee and Pat.”

     Dee quickly responded with a big smile, “It’s a song called “Always”. It was recorded by Atlantic Star and it’s the song that was performed at our wedding.”

     Pat took her hand and kissed it. “My song is Footloose. Because on our first date, we went to a club and that was what we first danced to.  I have never felt such joy. And that’s the truth of my marriage. She brings me joy every single day.”  Dee started crying and they gently kissed.

     “That was beautiful Dee and Pat.  Now, let’s hear from William and Kate.

     Mulder jumped right in, “This is easy, Dr. Jake.  “Whip it” by Devo.” 

     Scully whirled to look at him and there were gasps around the groups.  He looked at Scully and declared, “I’m kidding.”  He said loudly, “I’m KIDDING. I’m kidding.” Scully almost started laughing at the horror on everybody else’s face.  Of course, they don’t know this is typical Mulder. When he’s nervous, he hides it behind snide remarks. So his real answer must be a doozy.

     “Seriously, my song is a golden oldie, but it speaks the truth,  Elvis’ “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You”.  He looked down then glanced over at Scully. He was surprised to see her blinking away tears.

     “Will took my song. Gotta love 'whip it' by Devo” She gave a sly grin to Mulder who burst out laughing, as did many in the group. “But, my real answer is called “Walking in Memphis”, sung by Cher.  Like Pat, it was the song Will and I first danced to and we had our first kiss.”  The agents looked at each other, remembering the strange case of The Great Mutato. A case that led to a spontaneous dance, and spontaneous kiss at the end.

     Jeff and Belinda went next but what they said, nobody knows. Something about time and tempo ruling their hormones and their truth lies in whatever song is playing at the time.  Carla said her was “It’s Raining Men” and Corbin walked away while Lisa had no song and Tim couldn’t think of anything.

     The second part before we go on a beautiful hike.  I’d like you to tell me what made you realize you may need counseling. Let’s start with William and Kate, this time.  Can you tell me when you recognized your marriage may need some help?”

     Mulder and Scully looked at each other and Mulder was the first to speak, “I’ll be honest with you.  I don’t see that we do need help.  I love her.  She loves me.  We’ve only been married for a short time so, of course, there’s a learning curve. So … I don’t know why we’re here.”

     Dr. Jake was amused as he looked at Mulder.  “Then… why are you here?”

     “My mother-in-law.  I think she put thoughts into Kate’s head and convinced her we needed help. I, _personally_ , think she’s enamored by your celebrity status.”

     “Kate.  What do you have to say?”

     Scully sat quietly for a moment and decided to stick as close to the truth as possible.  “I was sick for a while. Very sick.  We had just met.  It wasn’t certain I would live.  Will was right there for me. I had never felt closer to him.  Then I got better and they said I was cured.  We eloped to Vegas and I was so looking forward to our life together.  But since I was given the all clear, Will has pulled away from me. Not blatantly and nothing I can really point to.  But it’s little things. I feel a distance between us and … it seems to  be growing.”

     Dr. Jake looked at Mulder, “Will, how do you respond to that.”

     “I told you, her mother is putting thoughts in her head.”

     “That’s crap and you know it.” Anger fired in her eyes. “Why can’t you just be honest?”

     “Do you honestly think my feelings for you have changed?”

     She paused.  “No. I don’t.  But for some reason, you are putting up barriers. You’re not as open as you were before. You’re traveling more.  You find reasons to not spend time with me.”

     “That is so ….”    

     “You don’t touch me like you used to.”

     He looked at her shaking his head.  Half of him thinking she’s a fantastic actress and the other half concerned she thinks he really has pulled away.

     “I have not pulled away. I am not putting up barriers. I am just as open …”

     “What about Emily.” Scully did not intend to bring her up. And certainly did not intend to use her real name. She glanced at Mulder and he was biting his bottom lip. Realization hit Mulder like a sledgehammer. This wasn’t a story.  This wasn’t part of the act. He sat back knowing this was a conversation he had no intention of having in front of anybody.  This was between him and Scully.

     “Will? Do you have any comments?”  Mulder continued to look down chewing on his bottom lip.  He quietly shook his head.

     Dr. Jake allowed a few moments to pass before he moved on to another couple.  Mulder and Scully were lost in their own thoughts.  Scully wondered why she brought that up.  Why not just make up a story?  Why bring up Emily?  She couldn’t imagine what was going through Mulder’s mind.

     Mulder mind was racing trying to remember everything Scully said. He did almost lose her. And the fear of losing her, quite frankly, was paralytic to him. Perhaps he did distance himself some. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and make love to her for the rest of her life. But…he glanced at her, that’s impossible. They had so many natural barriers. They were partners, they were friends. He had already ruined her life, getting more involved would probably destroy it. He has fought this attraction to her for years now. He tried looking at her like a sister. But, as his dreams became more graphic, he decided he must train his brain to think of her as his best friend; The only real friend he had. That worked well. The dreams settled down and their teamwork was spectacular.

     But, during her cancer, he sometimes felt as if they were tethered at the heart. His feelings would not be denied any longer. He would have done or said anything to save her. When they said she would live, he felt like he had been reborn.  But shortly after she was labeled cured, everything seemed to change. She wasn’t as open as she had been in the hospital. He felt like she was putting up barriers.  _Wait a minute,_ he thought. Barriers; pulling away; that is what she said _I_ did. He wondered, “ _Did I? Did she_? _And why did she bring up Emily?”_

     They were startled from their thoughts by Lisa and Corbin loudly spewing venom at each other.  Mulder instinctively stood in case the situation became violent. Scully gently touched his arm to remind him they had to lay low.  Dr. Jake, however, did get between the two and insisted they move away from the group.  Dr. Jake was able to calm the situation down and the couple went back to their tent.

     “I apologize to everyone” Dr. Jake took a few deep breaths then attempted to continue.  “Tim and Carla, would you like to discuss when you realized you needed help in your marriage?”

     Tim simply said mid-yawn, “I don’t know.” and Carla just shook her head.  

     Dr. Jake appeared distracted.  “Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to go on a hike.  But there is a caveat.  Nobody can speak on the hike, all communication has to be non-verbal.” The couples looked at each other in confusion.

     Dr. Jake laughed, “I know it sounds impossible but give it a try.  No words.  So, go to your tents and dress for the hike.  Jess and Maya will lead you to the picnic area and I am going to stay here and counsel Corbin and Carla for a while then I will meet you at the picnic site.”

     Mulder was not happy about this change in plan. “Scully, we need to figure out how to stay here and watch Dr. Jake.”

     “Not necessary. Last night, while everyone was sleeping, I put up surveillance cameras. I’ll put my phone in my fanny pack and sneak a peek while we walk.”

     Mulder shook his head, “how did you not sleep? I was out the second my head hit the pillow.”

     “I’ve been wondering the same thing. It seems like everybody here went quickly and soundly asleep except for me.  Come on, we’d better hurry.”

     The hike to the picnic area was beautiful.  It was close to the water’s edge. Mulder and Scully walked in silence. Occasionally, she would glance at her phone but no nefarious activity was occurring. Scully looked up and thought she saw a bald eagle. She opened her mouth to tell Mulder but had to refrain herself. She grabbed his arm and pointed up. He did, but all he saw was sky. She kept jumping up and down point to the sky. He shook his head and scrunched his forehead in confusion. She frustratingly kept pointing up then started flapping her arms. He started laughing as she grabbed the hair on top of her head and pulled it back while she soared around like she was flying.  He never saw the eagle, but the two of them collapsing on the ground in laughter changed the dynamics of the hike.

     They tried to share the sights with each other by pantomiming and ended up laughing a lot. Once, Mulder thought he saw a fox and she was in tears trying to figure out what he was saying. He kept pointing at himself walking on all fours.  Her laughing with tears in her eyes was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.  Wait a minute, he'd seen it once before.  In Oregon. At a cemetery.  In the rain.

      When they arrived at the picnic area, everything was set up.  Their name was on the blanket. They sat down and pulled their food out of the basket and Mulder opened the bottle of wine.  Scully pulled out two pieces of wheat bread and proceeded to put mayonnaise on one of the slices of bread.  Mulder started jumping up and down making stop gestures.  She realizes what he’s doing, but decides to have a little fun with him. She pretends to be confused and continued to spread mayonnaise on the bread.  Mulder makes gestures insinuating he will throw up but Scully keeps the innocent look on her face.  He finally fell back on the blanket feigning agony.  She poked him to get his attention and pulled out two more pieces of bread.  She put mustard beside those two of the pieces and the mayonnaise by the other two pieces.  Mulder then had the courage to look embarrassed that he assumed she was making his sandwich.

     They both laughed and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw she made his sandwich, just the way he liked it.  The rest of the lunch proceeded without words, but with tender looks, more laughs and finally a quick nap beside the lapping waves of the lake.  

     Dr. Jake, Corbin and Lisa had joined them close to the end of lunch. Mulder was relieved that Dr. Jake was OK and Corbin and Lisa were not screaming. Obviously, a nice, quiet lunch was just what the doctor ordered.

     The agents walked hand in hand slowly back to the campsite; uncaring where the other couples were. The slow walk back was quiet, relaxing, refreshing and incredibly sensual. There were no moves made, no words spoken, but a flame between them had been ignited.

     When they arrived, Dr. Jake told them it’s OK to talk again and they eagerly discussed the insightful exercise. Mulder could not believe Scully was trying to say she saw an eagle.

     “What does putting your hair in a ponytail have to do with seeing an eagle?”

     “It was a bald eagle. And what were you doing crawling around pointing at yourself?”

     “I saw a fox.”

     She laughed heartily.  “I thought you were saying you saw Sasquatch.”  

     “What? No.  If I had seen Sasquatch, I would have done this.” And he proceeded to jump around and scratch under his arms.  She couldn’t stop laughing and they entered their tent to relaxed for a while until dinner.  Scully pulled out her book and Mulder laid down on the bed.  A smile lingered on Scully’s lips while Mulder thought it was one of the best days of his life.

TO BE CONTINUED

 


	5. Saturday - (Evening Session)

     Dinner included grilled filet mignon, roasted potatoes, baked beans, garden salad, and ended with blackberry cobbler.  Scully passed her cobbler to Mulder and noticed Lisa wasn’t eating her cobbler either. When they regrouped in their dual chairs, Dr. Jake gave asked them a question.

     “The question this evening is - what is your question.  If you had just one question to ask your spouse, what would it be.  Let’s start with Tim.”

     “I don’t know.” 

     “That’s not good enough, Tim. When you signed up for this, you declared you were willing to work on your marriage but I have not seen much cooperation. So let me ask you. Do you want to save your marriage?”

     Tim answered. “Yes.”

     “Then ask your wife a question.”

     Tim sat for a few minutes then looked at Carla. “Why have you been giving me the deep freeze since we got here?  I know we have had some problems, but we decided this would make things better. What changed?”

     Carla looked at him. “Before we left, you left your phone at home. I decided to look through your pictures.” Tim looked shocked.  “I saw the pictures. Of you and your, uh, assistant. So I checked your emails and messages and the two of you have been having a grand old time.”

      Tim looked at Carla with tears streaming down his face.  “I’m so sorry, Carla.”

Carla asked, “May I ask my question now?”

     Dr. Jake nodded.

     “Do you love her?”

     Tim couldn’t look at Carla.  “I don’t know.”

     “Do you love me?”

     “Of course I do!”

     Carla sat very still.  “Are you  _ in _ love with me?”

     Tim looked confused, “uh, we...yeah, yes. Of course I am.”

     Carla smiled. “Dr. Jake. We are wasting your time here. If it’s possible, can you arrange for someone to drive me down to the lodge. I will get someone to pick me up there.”

     Tim cried, “Carla”

     Dr. Jake quieted him down and said, “Carla, please give me a chance to talk to the two of you. We’ll talk after tonight’s session. If, after we talk, you still want to go to the lodge, I will arrange for it.  But now, I’d like you to go into your tent and talk. Really talk. No more lies, no holding back. Say what you feel, both of you.”

     Tim and Carla looked at each other for a moment and went to their tent.

     Dr. Jake looked at Lisa and Corbin with some anxiety. “Corbin, what is your question?”

     Corbin, “You don’t really want to stay married, do you?”

     Lisa replied, “No.”

     “Then why did you agree to therapy?”

     “My lawyer said it would get me a better settlement. And, I wanted to meet Dr. Jake. I heard he sleeps with at least one of his lady campers and I wanted it to be me.”

     “Were you?”

     “Yes.”

     Dr. Jake jumped in, “Lisa! This is not helpful.”

     Lisa grinned, “OK.  No. I didn’t sleep with him.  I tried. I seriously tried, but it didn’t happen.”

     Corbin asked, “Why, Lisa?”

     “Because I deserve better. I don’t want to be married to a grease monkey. I thought you were going to be someone. Make a lot of money, but you’re a nobody.”

     Corbin nodded his head. “OK. Dr. Jake, I’d think I’d like that ride down to the lodge.”

     Dr. Jake scratched his head in frustration.  “Corbin, Lisa. If you don’t mind, I’d like to finish this session. Would you retire to your tent while I finish here?”

     Corbin and Lisa slowly walked to their tent.

     Dr. Jake laughed, “Well, we’re down to Three,  Jeff and Belinda?”

     Jeff asked, “would you be interested in quitting our jobs and trekking up Everest?

     “Yes” They kissed passionately and Dr. Jake  shook his head“.

     “Let’s move on. William?”

     Mulder had been so enthralled by the drama of the others, he didn’t even think of a question.  “Uh, OK, why did you bring up Emily?”

     Scully thought for a second, “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have.”

     “It’s OK, I’m just curious why.”

     “I guess because I wonder if the whole thing with Emily is why you pulled away from me.”

     Mulder looked stricken, “Why would you say that?”

     “I don’t know, I just felt it. I sensed it.”

     “Kate.” He took her hand, “Maybe you’re right. At the end, when I wanted to be there for you, you wanted to be alone. You didn’t need me, I wasn’t sure you wanted me.To be honest,  I had actually thought I could be…” He stopped before he could say he thought he could have been a father to Emily.”

     Scully started crying. “Would you have wanted...to be part of her life?”

     Mulder whispered, “More than anything in the world.”  

     Dr. Jake moved on to Dee and Pat, but the agents didn’t hear what they said. Their thoughts on Emily, possibilities lost and things unsaid.

     Dr. Jake said they were going to do the evening exercise.  At that moment, Tim and Carla came out and asked if they could join.  He exuberantly welcomed them back.

     “Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to face each other. Both of you close your eyes and ladies you will touch your spouse’s face. Feel it with both hands. I want you to see your spouse’s face in your mind. Communicate with each other through your touch. No words should be spoken. When you’re done, gentlemen, you will touch your wife’s face in the same way. Make sure you do not talk and you keep your eyes closed. Please begin.”

     Scully looked at Mulder with a hint of embarrassment.  He gave her a slight grin and nod. She responded with her own.  They both took a deep breath and closed their eyes. 

     She gingerly began at his hairline barely touching him. She could feel wisps of his hair touching her fingers. She loves his hair. He has multiple ways he wears it, but her favorite is when his hair falls onto his forehead. It makes him look young.  When he looks at her with those puppy dog eyes, her soul is lost. Her mind was picturing his exquisite face as she toured his forehead. She grinned as she felt a few drops of sweat dropping from hairline. She then found the creases. They weren’t deep, but they were exquisite. So full of character. Another smile touched her lips as Images of him scrunching his forehead either in confusion or frustration came to her mind.  She rubbed the creases lightly as if to say, relax, be calm, I’m here. 

     She could feel his breathing increase which only heightened her own nervousness.  She moved to his eyebrows and was surprised at how soft they were. Just like his hair. She stroked them for a few seconds picturing them as they frame his beautiful eyes. She slowly moved to his eyes where she gently touched his eyelids. She could feel rapid activity beneath his closed lids, so she moved to caress his short, fragile eyelashes. Why had she never noticed his eyelashes before? They elicited a tender feeling she could not define. She was suddenly having a hard time breathing. It was incredibly sensual touching his eyelashes. 

     She touched his cheek for just a moment before moving on to his nose.  His gorgeous, large, magnificent nose. She started getting slightly aroused as she rubbed down the orifice.She focused on the tip and heard him gasp. She placed her fingers on each side of it and squeezed twice while saying, “honk honk”.  She giggled and Mulder laughed. 

     She continued rubbing the length of his nose thinking she could die happy right now then moved on to stroke his cheeks loving the feel of the semi permanent stubble that sent her arousal spiraling. She could feel droplets of sweat unsure if it was his or hers. Then, she got to the object of many of her fantasies - his lips. She noticed his bottom lip was wet, which meant he had been biting on it.  A sure sign he was nervous. She also felt the tiny facial tics that usually accompanies nervousness. Her heart started beating wildly. His lips. That spectacular lower lip. There are no words to describe how badly she wanted to suck on that beautiful lower lip. One hand cupped his face while her thumb rubbed his lip with wanton determination; desperately wanting his tongue to come out and greet her. His rapid breathing seemed thready and he began to swallow as if without thought.  Both hands grasped his face and stroked it all over vigorously in an attempt to alleviate the massive physical need she was feeling. All she wanted right now was to take those lips and crush them with her own. She could feel Mulder suffering much like her. Between his twitchy movements and erratic breathing and her desperate need to touch more of his face, it was one of the most erotic experiences she had ever felt..

     “Stop”  Dr. Jake stated loudly.  


     Their eyes flew open and embarrassment filled her.  She quickly noticed that Mulder looked uncomfortable, physically.  He jumped up and excused himself to the men’s room. Scully eagerly grabbed the cup of water they offered needing to quench thirst that invaded her.  Mulder returned and they sat side by side only speaking when they accidentally touched. Soon, Dr. Jake told them they were switching roles.

     “Close your eyes and begin.”

     Mulder decided to keep his emotions at bay while exploring Scully’s face.  He almost completely lost control when she was exploring his face. How would he have explained that in the report to Skinner.  Yes. Skinner. He would think about Skinner. And how he is expected to be professional and respectful. 

     His hand was shaking as he tenderly touched her forehead.  His thoughts recreated the times he touched her forehead with his own. The feeling of connection he felt at the skin on skin contact. He had never felt it with his hand, but it was as supple as he imagined; smooth and soft, like silk. There were no lines or creases. It was shear perfection, like her. He leaned closer so he could smell the unique scent of her hair that reminded him of cherry blossoms. 

     As he continued down her face, he stroked her exquisitely shaped eyebrows. He smiled, there were no stray hairs. Even without seeing them, he knew they were unflawed; thick, soft and shaped to frame her eyes. He rubbed them for a moment as he pictured those beautiful eyes. Eyes that grip his soul every time he looks into them. He softly touched her eye lids, but moved away quickly, knowing they were too delicate for the roughness off his thumb. 

     He found her eyelashes and expected them to be stiff. But they weren’t. They were thick and velvety. He assumed she darkened her eyelashes with mascara. But these felt soft, natural, long and sensuous, like her. He tried to be gentle as he touched this precious connection to her eyes. He could picture them proudly protecting those glorious eyes. He allowed himself another moment to think about those perfect orbs that are an indescribable blue, like her beloved sea. His breathing became rapid and knew it was time to move on. He traveled to her tiny, petite nose; small and compact. He rubbed down to the tip when, with a smile, he put his fingers on each side of it, squeezed twice and quietly said “honk honk”.  She giggled and felt her entire body become active.

     He spent a few moments stroking her cheeks gently before making his way down to her lips. There was only one thing he loved more than her eyes; her luscious lips. He bit his own bottom lip and felt the little twitches in his face erupt uncontrollably.  He felt her lips trembling. Oh how he wanted to taste those lips. He wanted to take his tongue and lick all over them. He could spend hours making love to her lips. Suddenly, her lips opened slightly as he continued to caress them with his thumb. He felt her tongue sneak out for just a second which encouraged him to rub inside her lips. He was overjoyed when her tongue met his thumb.  His other hand fondled her cheek while his thumb found a home sparring with her tongue. His massive arousal was clearly out of control and he knew instinctively she was equally engaged.

     “Stop” Dr. Jake stated.  


     Their eyes met and each felt as if a bucket of cold water had doused them both. They each retreated to the bathroom and when they came back they grabbed some water and sat down.  No words were spoken.

     “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to have comments about tonight’s exercise.  Dee and Pat?”

      Dee looked embarrassed “well, it was nice. I think we realize that we’re older, have a few more wrinkles, but when I was touching his face, I pictured the young man that I fell in love with.”

     “That’s excellent, Dee.  Pat?”

     “Ditto.” They both laughed as did Dr. Jake,.

    “How about you, Tim and Carla?”

     Carla teared up a bit. “I realized how much I missed being touched by Tim.”

     Tim shook his head as he struggled with his emotions.

     “William and Kate?”

     They stared at Dr. Jake not knowing what to say.  The truth? They glanced at each other. Mulder finally opened his mouth, “It was a life changing experience for me.”  

     Scully smiled and said, “It was interesting for me too.” They looked at each other and smiled.

     The final couple, Jeff and Belinda both explained that it would have been better if they had their eyes open. It was awkward and uncomfortable, quite frankly.  


     The group was dismissed and both of the agents felt a wave of nerves. How do they go back to the privacy of their tent after mentally making love at the campsite.  They glanced at each other without saying a word but asking, where do we go from here?

 

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Sunday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, The characters of Dee and Pat are based on me and my husband. The story of how we met - that's absolutely true.

**SATURDAY NIGHT**

Scully left the women’s restroom and walked toward her tent. It had been an exhausting day.  First, she and Mulder shared a magical, silent hike where they laughed and behaved like adolescents. Then, she participated in an erotic face touching experience that thoroughly devastated her.  She could still feel his hands on her face, her forehead, her lips. His fingers and palms displayed a tenderness that seared her soul. Every pore in her body felt him, the nerves in her body were electrified by the care he took in touching her. Although embarrassed about it now, when her tongue touched hit thumb, the thrill that enveloped her was more powerful than any sexual experience she had ever had. When she was exploring him, she could see him with the core of her body. Through her fingers, she held Mulder’s heart in the palm of her hand. She _knew_ him.  She _saw_ him. She _recognized_ him. She _loved_ him. She loved him. She knew she did. Had known it for a while, but refused to admit it. Maybe it’s this place, the air, the ambiance. Maybe it was belonging to each other, even if it was pretend. It felt good. She felt good. She doesn’t want to even think past today.

After the session ended, Scully desperately needed to pull herself together. She was a bit ashamed at how shameless she behaved and didn’t know how to face Mulder. So, she indulged in a long, hot shower. Bathing herself in luxury soaps and lotions. She styled her hair in what she hoped was a flirty, casual style and dressed in royal blue silk pajamas she had packed. The closer she got to the tent, the more nervous she became. What should she say? What if he ignores her? Or laughs at her? What if Mulder wants to continue what they started? Worse yet, what if he doesn’t?”

She smiled and stepped through the open flap and saw Mulder...sound asleep.  Disappointment wilted her newly refreshed body. She deliberately jarred the bed with no reward. She even shook him a bit, softly saying his name, but no reaction. She leaned over and rubbed her hand through his hair, listening to his soft snore.

“Sleep well, my Mulder.”

She walked over to her chair by the window to keep an eye on the campsite.  She picked up her book but did not open it. Instead, she retrieved her memories of the day to experience them one more time.  Some moments, she recalled several times.

About an hour later, she heard movement and watched Lisa make her way over to Dr. Jake’s tent. She went to Mulder and shook him, but he still wouldn’t wake up. She tried multiple times but Mulder would not budge. Although concern nudged at her brain, she pushed it aside while she sneaked out of the tent to surveil the situation.  It  didn't take long to realize Lisa finally accomplished her goal of being Dr. Jake’s “campfire lady”.

Scully quietly checked on Lisa’s tent and heard Corbin loudly snoring. The other tents were equally as content.  She returned to her chair and waited until Lisa walked out holding Dr. Jake’s hand. Neither seemed concerned that they might be seen. Dr. Jake gave her a kiss and sent her on her way.  Scully waited a bit to make sure there were no repercussions, then finally got in her own bed.

She checked Mulder’s pulse and it was strong and steady. She shook her head. For an insomniac, he was sleeping like he had been drugged.  Scully sat straight up. Her investigative brain thinking over the events of the past two days. When and how could he have been drugged. Since she ate everything Mulder ate except for the cobbler, she determined the most likely culprit was that. Especially since the only people who did not have cobbler was she and Lisa; and both of them gave their cobblers to their spouses. She can’t recall Dr. Jake even eating. There was food, but he always seemed to be talking.  She lay back down and vowed to talk to Mulder tomorrow.

She moved a little closer to him and rolled to her side with her back to him.  Within a few minutes, he moved toward her and put his arm over her not missing a snore.  She smiled as she settled into a restful sleep.

**SUNDAY**

Scully woke early and noticed Mulder was already up and about. “Mornin’ Scully.” He sat on the bed. “Scully, I’m so, so sorry.” Panic suddenly hit her. “I don’t know what happened last night. I wanted to talk about, uh, I mean, I was going to wait up for you to get back from the shower and then, my head hit the pillow and I was gone!”

“You were drugged.”

“What? How?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s in the cobbler and you ate mine _and_ yours. The only people that did not eat cobbler was me and Lisa. And the only ones awake last night was me and Lisa.  Oh, and Dr. Jake.”

“How do you-”

“She spent some time in Dr. Jake’s tent.”

“Ah.” But confusion crinkled his forehead.

“C’mon, Mulder. I’ll tell you everything as we walk. I have a feeling today might be interesting.”

On the way to the buffet table, Mulder took her hand in his as they walked side by side discussing the late night activities.

They filled their plates and he laughed with proud joy at the sheer quantity on her plate. “Have to keep up with you, William.”  He laughed and they went to their table. Dee and Pat welcomed them and, once again, spoke enthusiastically about the wonderful sleep they had. The agents looked at each other and he winked at her. Scully noticed that Lisa and Corbin got their plates and were eating together, as were Tim and Carla. Conversation was stilted until Dr. Jake joined them and his stories seemed to keep people entertained.

The morning session  began with Dr. Jake's usual “Ladies and gentlemen"; He continued, "I hope everyone had a wonderful night.  Our question this morning is; I want you to recount how you met. What your thoughts were upon meeting and what was was your future spouse wearing.  Let’s start with Jeff and Belinda.”

Mulder looked at Scully in a panic. She leaned over and whispered, “I got this. Remember, stay as close to the truth as possible.”  He grinned at her and tried to listen to the moronic dribble from Jeff and Belinda who spoke over each other most of the time, making it impossible to tell what exactly was being said.

Dr. Jake moved on to Tim and Carla and Tim described how they met at the college library. He was an accounting major and she was an art major. The library was unusually loud so they had moved to a secluded table toward the back. Tim suddenly laughed, “We could still hear the really loud people. Some of it was funny and me and Carla started laughing so loud, we got thrown out of the library. It was OK, though, because we went to the University Hall. Of course, instead of studying, we talked. All night long. She was wearing a school t-shirt. It was purple, of course, with the school logo on it.” He looked at Carla, “I was wearing the exact same shirt. The only difference is hers was clean and mine was not. I thought she was really cute. Her hair was in a ponytail with a purple ribbon. And she was funny!”  Tim suddenly started laughing again. “She started imitating the librarian. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life.”

Dr. Jake looked at Carla.

"That's exactly how it happened. And yes, his shirt was dirty. It had mustard and chili. I figured he got one of those messy chili dogs from The Crazy Dog. If you weren’t careful, you’d wear half of the dog. The only thing he got wrong was, it was him that was the funny one. He had and still has a quick wit and storytelling ability that wrapped you up.”  Carla’s eyes filled with tears and Tim hesitantly put his arm around her.  Dr. Jake had a slight smile as he moved on to Lisa and Corbin who were unusually subdued.

 “Lisa and Corbin, can you tell us how you met?”

Neither seemed inclined to talk.  Corbin then spoke up in a tired but sarcastic voice. “We met at a bar. We both got drunk. We went back to my apartment. She was wearing a sleeveless, sparkly shirt where you could see most of her boobs. She wasn’t wearing a bra. I don’t remember anything else.”

Dr. Jake prompted, “Corbin, how did meeting her make you feel?”

“Horny.”

“Lisa?” Dr. Jake asked.

“His story is crap, as usual. I was dancing with someone and he broke in saying it was his turn. We danced and he was wearing a nice shirt.  Unlike the no class, blue collar workers in the bar that night. He smelled good too, so I let him buy me a drink. That’s it.”

“And how did you feel meeting him.” Dr. Jake asked.

“Like he was better than the other losers in the bar.”

Dr. Jake didn’t pursue this any further. But moved on to Dee and Pat.

Dee smiled,  “I was 17, and was working at this wholesale company.  Every afternoon at 4:45, I would do the filing for one of my co-workers. She was a sweetheart whose son would pick her up from work every day.  He would get there, about 4:45 and stand at her desk to wait for her.  I thought he was cute but he never seemed to notice me. So, one day, I get a call from him. He said that his mother had told him I was struggling with history, we were in our first semester in college. He told me he was good at history and would help me if i needed it.  I told him, I'd love his help. I should tell you that I absolutely did NOT need help, I was a straight A student. But he was cute, so I let him came over.  The rest, they say, is history!"

The group laughed but Pat had some corrections to make.  "I didn't have to stand at my mom's desk. But Dee had this little pink outfit she would wear.  Wow Wee. She was a hottie. So I definitely noticed her, but didn't think she noticed me. I jumped at the chance to help Dee with history, although I knew right away she didn't need any help.  She kept correcting me!  But I didn't care. She was wearing that little pink outfit."  

"So, mom was a busybody.  Great story.  Will and Kate?" Dr. Jake asked.

Scully smiled, looked at Mulder and began, “My friend, Dana, works at a newspaper. She told me about a guy she worked with that she called, ‘kind of kooky.’”  The crowd laughed.  “Dana asked me to meet her for lunch so I could look _Kooky_ over and tell her what I thought.  _So_ , I went to the basement, where apparently he works, and opened the door.”  She looked at Mulder.  “ _Kooky_ was sitting at a desk by the door with his back to me. He was putting slides in one of those slide thingies.”

Mulder interrupted, “Carousel slide photo holders.” The group chuckled again.

“Carousel slide photo holder.  I didn’t want to just walk in without saying something, so I stood there.  Suddenly he turned around and I saw the most attractive man I’d ever seen in my life. He was wearing glasses that, quite frankly, were sexy as hell, his hair was a little wild and he was absolutely gorgeous.” She giggled at how embarrassed Mulder seemed. “He had on a white dress shirt with blue pin stripes. The sleeves were rolled up and his tie was not as complimentary to his shirt and pants as it should have been. In other words, it was god-awful. We introduced each other and shook hands. He told me Dana had told him that I was a serious scientist. That's why he has been anxious to meet me. Apparently, after he heard about me, he _researched_ me. Seriously! Then, he proceeded to _question_ me about my senior thesis. All I could think was this guy really is kooky.”  The entire campsite was either grinning or all out laughing.  “He walked over to put the _Carousel_ _slide photo holder_ on the slide projector and asked if I would give him a scientific opinion about something he was investigating; exsanguinated cows.”  That brought quite a few belly laughs from the group.

“Of course, I gave him my opinion, but, unbeknownst to me, he was already ten steps ahead of me, completely debunking my opinion, which actually made me feel a little foolish. He then asked if I believed in the existence of extra-terrestrials.” 

Someone in the group uttered, “oh my!” and Mulder jumps in. “Yes I did ask that. Imagine my surprise when she said, ‘Of course. As a scientist, I know it is not practical to believe that we are alone in this vast universe. The existence of living matter has been found on quite a few other planets.’ I wanted to tell her that she was bat crap crazy, but she was so cute, I just jumped on board.” The group chuckled.  And Scully gave him _the look_ he knew so well.  Mulder continued, “By the way, she was wearing light gray pants that were a bit too big, a gray or gray/blue silk tunic and a plaid, oversized gray, blue and black plaid jacket. Her shoes were black and her brownish/red hair was shoulder length.  But it was her eyes that stood out. They were the most hypnotic blue. I was staggered by her. She was striking, not just in her beauty, but her confidence; her poise. She was dressed like a professional nerd and proud of it. She was also brilliant and had no problem telling me exactly what she thought. She was perfect. And from that moment forward, she was mine.”

Scully blushed and was speechless. but continued, “The three of us had lunch together and it was pleasant, but Dana told me later that it was obvious that there was something between Will and me and she wished me luck.”  Mulder picked up her hand and kissed it.

“Excellent.  Kooky.  I love it!”  The group laughed once again. “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re doing something different today. We’re getting into a shuttle bus and touring Shenandoah National Park.  We will also visit a crafts festival in one of the towns near the park and then we’re going zip lining.  It’s going to be a fun day, so go dress casually, wear sneakers, no open toed shoes, and bring a little cash if you find yourself wanting to buy something at the festival. We will be back by dinner for our evening session.

 

**SUNDAY AFTERNOON**

 

The tour through the park was magnificent. She and Mulder held hands as the traveled along the picturesque Skyline Scenic Highway. Her heart swelled when he insisted she take the window seat. Of course, she realized his strategy when he was forced to put his arms around her and look over her head to see the sights. She didn’t care, she liked it. She also liked the appreciative grin when she opened her snack bag and handed him a few sunflower seeds, along with a small plastic pouch for him to put the hulls.

As they rode, they pointed things out to each other, made notes of landmarks they want to come back and visit one day, shared a real coke and a bag of Cheetos. They put the window down and he rested his chin on her shoulder so they could each enjoy the wind in their face. It was a beautiful day.

At the end of the drive, they went to the town of Luray where the city park was filled with arts and crafts.  The group split up and the agents kept their eyes on Dr. Jake who went with Tim and Carla to a picnic table to talk. Relaxing a little, they perused the various crafts, commenting on the workmanship and uniqueness.

Mulder was intrigued by a booth full of Virginia folklore. Scully made a mental note to purchase some of the historical books about the area for him when they get back. She smiled as she imagined surprising him with the books.  Scully moved on to stunning quilts while Mulder was distracted by the hand-made jewelry. A spectacular amethyst and diamonds necklace caught his eye; Amethyst being Scully’s birthstone. He discovered it also had a matching bracelet and ring. The price made him cough, but he made an arrangement with the owner to hold them for him until he could pick them up on Wednesday. He left a nice deposit and hoped Scully didn’t see. He wanted to see her face when he gave her his surprise gift.

They continued walking slowly around the festival, always keeping Dr. Jake in their sights. “Scu…Kate.  Katie.  They have cotton candy.  I haven’t had a cotton candy since I was a kid.”

“William, it’s pure sugar.”

“ _Right_. Let’s get one. We can split it. That way, we'll only get half of a sugar high.   _Pleeeeese_.”

She looked at that face with the puppy dog eyes and the pouty lip.  She had no choice but to say, “OK.”  The joy on his face was worth it.  Actually, the cotton candy was worth it. So light and sweet. It brought back memories of childhood, the beach and being happy and free. She really doesn’t know what she enjoyed more, eating it or eating it with Mulder. They engaged in a play fight where they attempted to steal each others excess cotton candy. They would grab and run but always allow the other to catch them. They would feed each other, but when Scully mentioned her fingers were sticky, he gently took her hand and sucked each one of her fingers; one by one. She, of course, had to reciprocate. As they continued through the festival, they found themselves kissing and laughing and acting like they were really lovers enjoying a beautiful afternoon.  Neither one of them wanted it to end, until they lost Dr. Jake for a few minutes. Luckily, they found him at the apple cider booth and they decided they needed to focus a little on their job.  But first, they planned to share a large apple cider.

About 15 minutes later, the group gathered at a unique food stand called Dave’s BBQ. It was on a raised platform with picnic tables surrounding it.  Mulder ordered the pulled pork sandwich with potato salad and Scully got the roast chicken and cole slaw. They sat with Dee and Pat at a picnic table and the conversation never slowed. Tim and Carla asked if they could join them and Tim proved to be a great storyteller who kept the couples entertained.  Scully looked for the other couples and found Jeff and Belinda choosing to be alone while Corbin and Lisa were talking earnestly with Dr. Jake.

They soon got back in the shuttle bus to go zip-lining.  Neither of the agents had ever done this activity and Scully was a bit nervous. Mulder promised that if she didn't feel it was safe, they would decline to participate.

It didn’t take long to get to Shenandoah Adventure.  The zip-line guides were wonderful. They first showed a video, then had all of the group participate in the training, even those who wasn't sure they would ride.  The guides told everybody they would first ride the "BabyZip"; a short zip line just a few feet off the ground to get the rider used to the activity. If, at the end of BabyZip, they were uncomfortable, they would opt out. The instant it began, Scully knew she was in love with zip-lining. She looked back at Mulder who grinned back. When the short ride ended, everybody in the group was ready to move on to the "PapaZip".  The big one. Seven zip lines covering twenty-seven hundred feet of soaring through the forest up to thirty-five miles per hour. Scully was in Heaven. The wind in her face. She looked back at Mulder who was shouting with joy. After seeing her face, he knew this would be one of the greatest moments of his life.

After they arrived, they ran to each other, excitedly talking non-stop. The thrill they felt plus the fact they experienced together increased the euphoria of the day. Mulder suddenly kissed her and she kissed him back. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but one that reflected the unexplained feelings they were feeling. When it ended, they both shyly grinned and walked back to the shuttle bus.

The ride back to the campsite was nice.  At first, they talked non-stop about zip-lining. Then, Mulder put his arm around her and she rested on his shoulder.  After they arrived, they indulged in a short nap before dinner which was an Italian buffet with Tiramisu as the dessert. Scully looked at Mulder with a slight pout since Tiramisu is one of her favorites.  He laughed and whispered she could have it and he’ll stay awake all night. Mulder created a diversion by spilling his water while Scully stashed  two helpings of tiramisu into the baggy in her pocket.  

At the campfire, Dr. Jake asked for their thoughts about the day.  Most talked about the zip line and how much fun they had. “Good, because we’re getting down and dirty tonight. The question is, what do you want? Tell your spouse what you want from your marriage. Not what you want from your spouse but from your marriage.

The agent’s thoughts were racing. What would they say? They looked at each other, but neither couldn’t get a read.  Finally, Scully leaned over and whispered, “Just be honest.” Mulder nodded.

The doctor began with Carla who, after several minutes of prompting by the doctor, said, “I want to be a partner in my marriage. Not someone that my husband believes _doesn’t work_.

Dr. Jake asked, “were you ever partners in your marriage?”

“At first,” Carla responded. “Then, it changed.”

“What changed?”

Carla didn’t, or couldn’t, answer.

“Tim, what do you want from your marriage.”

He thought for a long time.  So long, the Dr. Jake almost prompted him again. “I want my wife to believe in me again, love me again, have time for me again.”

“Did she ever do those things?”

Tim looked at Dr. Jake with tears in his eyes, “At first.”

Corbin and Lisa spoke next. Lisa began by listing all the things she disliked about Corbin until the Dr. stopped her.  “Lisa, what do you want from the marriage?”

She laughed, “out of it.”

“Corbin?”

“I just want my kids.”

“Fat chance, asshole. You will never hear or see MY kids again.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“Wanna bet?”

‘CORBIN, LISA, please stop. This is not helpful and these other couples deserve to have the experience they came for. We will talk privately later.  Now, Jeff.”

“I want a whole and spiritual experience with my…”

Dr. Jake interrupted laughing, _“Jeff! What do you want from your marriage_?  YOU.”

Jeff looked at Dr. Jake and smiled, “I want a baby.”

Belinda almost screamed, “WHAT?”

“Honey, I've been thinking about it…”

“NO. I told you I never wanted children. You agreed.”

“I know. But can we just _talk_ about it?”

“No.”

Dr. Jake asked Belinda what she wants from the marriage. She replied, “no children.”

Dr. Jake took a deep breath.  “Kate?”

“I want to take Carla’s answer. I want to be Will’s partner. In every way possible.”

“And what does that mean to you?”

“I want honest conversation, no secrets, and…no ditching.” Scully looked down.

“Will?”

Mulder smiled at Scully, “I believe we want the same thing.”

The agents were focused on each other.  They missed what Dee and Pat said.  They think it was something like getting their life back.

Dr. Jake got their attention, “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your honesty.Tthis has been an insightful session, for me and hopefully for you. I’m going to talk to Corbin and Lisa.  In the meantime, I have some homework for you. I’d like you to contemplate your own desires as well as the desires of your spouse and see what common ground you come up with.  Then, I want you to write a letter to your spouse.  A letter that you will read to them, tomorrow night.  In the meantime, we have board games, card games and other games for you and your spouse to play together, or as a group with the others.  Have a fun evening.

Mulder and Scully teamed with Dee and Pat as well as Tim and Carla to play Monopoly. A game that lasted into the wee hours of the morning. Jeff and Belinda did not play games and the doctor, Lisa and Corbin were talking in the doctor's tent.

The agents held hands walking to their tent. They quietly dressed and Mulder sat in the chair by the window.  “C’mere, Scully.”  She walked over to him and allowed him to guide her onto his lap.  He gave her a gentle kiss, put his arms around her and said, “ready to do some surveillance?”  She grinned and replied, "With you? Always."  

 

TO BE CONTINUED

 

 


	7. Monday

**SUNDAY NIGHT**

The agents were enjoying their surveillance; snuggling in the chair, playing “handsies” and softly talking under the under the comfy quilt. Suddenly, Scully alerted Mulder to Lisa making her way over to Dr. Jake’s tent.  Within seconds, she was running out of his tent screaming. The agents emerged from their tent in full agent mode as Dr. Jake tried to calm Lisa down.  In the meantime, Belinda snuck out of the doctor’s tent and quickly made her way back where she belonged. 

Dr. Jake was stunned to see the agents and reacted without thinking, “Why are you not asleep?”

Scully slipped to the other tents to check the slumber state of the other campers while Mulder simply replied, “we were till we heard screaming. What is going on?”

Lisa screamed through her tears, “Jake is a liar.”

“What is Kate doing?” Dr. Jake asked.

“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on here and why Lisa is screaming.” Mulder demanded.

“This is not your concern, Will.  Now, you and Kate need to return to your tent while I deal with this.”

Scully walked back to Mulder and took his arm, gently encouraging him to return to their tent.

Mulder walked to the surveillance chair and pulled Scully into his lap.

“What did you find, Scully?”

“Corbin is sound asleep. As are Tim and Carla and Jeff. Belinda was just sitting on the bed when I looked in.  I didn’t notice Belinda not eating her Tiramisu.”

Lisa and Jake were still talking aggressively. “Can you hear anything?”

“No.  I can sneak out and try to get closer.”

“Wait” Mulder said, “Jake is coming this way.” He discreetly closed the window and Scully grabbed Mulder’s face and started kissing him passionately. Mulder figured out what she was doing and began fondling whatever he could get his hands on. 

Dr. Jake, without warning, opened their tent flap and saw the couple in the deep throes of passion.  He smirked and quietly backed out of the tent laughing as he returned to his tent.

Once they realized he was gone, they broke apart but wouldn’t look at each other.  Mulder finally chuckled and said, “This is definitely the best night I’ve ever had in my life. You got a cigarette?” 

Scully laughed and cleared her throat, “let’s open up the window and see what’s happening, _hot stuff_.” 

 

**MONDAY**

“You know, Mulder, it bothers me that Dr. Jake asked why we were awake.” Scully mentioned as she put her socks and shoes on.

“I know. We need to be careful about the food we are offered.”

“I’d like to get this Tiramisu in my pocket tested.”

“I’d like to know why someone felt it necessary to drug all the campers.”

“Do you think it’s Jake?”

“I do. Don’t you?”

“Yes, but not for any reason other than to make it easier for him to have nookie with his campfire lady.” Scully asserted.

Mulder laughed, “ _Nookie_?  Scully, you wild thing.  Is there a scientific definition for _nookie_?”

Scully gave him her famous look. “Yes, Mulder. Sex. Intercourse. Carnal knowledge.”

“Will you be my teacher of carnal nookie, Dr. Scully?”

She paused, thinking of an appropriate remark.  She suddenly grinned, “You never know…” She left the tent, walking a little sexier than usual.  A surprised Mulder whirled to follow but tripped on his own feet; thus stumbling out of the tent and continuing a few feet down the walkway before finally catching his footing. 

Scully tried not to laugh, but it was too late.  Her partner, searching for his dignity simply said, “It was an earthquake, Scu…Kate.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Scully laughed as they approached the buffet.

Pat chuckled at Mulder, “That’s quite a dance you did coming out of your tent. Can you show me your moves?”

“Will says it was an earthquake.” Scully announced.

“ _Right_.  I’ve had a few of those earthquakes, Will.  It’s been a while, but I _do_ remember them.” Pat grinned.

“Patrick, behave.” Dee said as she reached up to give her husband a kiss.

Tim and Carla joined them and, once again, they discussed how much fun zip lining was.  Tim and Carla looked like different people. They were happy, chatty and good company.  Lisa, on the other hand was morose, depressed and sitting in a lawn chair away from everyone, not eating. Corbin also sat alone, but was ravishing his food. Jeff and Belinda finally came out of their tent along with Dr. Jake.  Scully nudged Mulder who watched with interest.

“Ladies and gentlemen, let’s gather for our session around the campfire.”  When they got settled, Today, we’re going to talk about sex.  Several days ago, you rated your sex life, but I want you to start by telling me about the best sexual experience you and your spouse have had; This is a difficult subject, but a fulfilling, intimate experience is vital to a happy and successful marriage. Let’s start with Dee and Pat.

Mulder and Scully looked at each other with sheer mortification.  Scully shook her head and Mulder shrugged.  Mulder leaned over and whispered, “let’s just wing it. OK? This is just acting. We’re on a job, nobody is going to care what we say. Just relax.” He took her hand while he realized he had hundreds of scenarios he could talk about. He calls them his Scully fantasies. He smile trying to decide which one to tell.

“William, tell us about your best sexual experience with Kate.”

Mulder looked at Scully and winked. “We hadn’t been together very long when I had a…lead for a story in Alaska. She had never been to Alaska so I asked her to come along. I was to meet my lead at a… pharmaceutical lab on a remote island. Unfortunately, nobody was there. We waited a while when a sudden snow storm came up and we were trapped.” He smiled. “We had to tighten things up to stay warm. We searched for food and eventually found somewhere to sleep. Once, we thought we had gotten bit by something, so we decided to check each other out to make sure. Uh, she checked my back and I checked her back and one thing led to another and we had _nookie_.”  Scully put her head in her hand.

Jake laughed, “Nookie? OK.  So, what made this experience so memorable.”

“This was the worst possible place to be. It was dirty and smelly with very little food. The room had a dusty, hard cot.  And this one,” he pointed at Scully, “never said a word. She never complained, never whined, never criticized me or reproached me, she always had my back.  I knew she was someone special when I met her, but that’s the moment I knew it was more. so much more.  It was the most beautiful sexual experienced I had ever had. Because of her. I’ll never forget those two days we were trapped in Alaska.”

“Kate, do you remember this experience?”

“Oh, yes.  He worked so hard to make it easy on me, in the icy tundra. It warmed my heart, pardon the pun. I really didn’t mind. I knew what his job was. I knew where we were. None of it was his fault and I wasn’t going to make it more difficult for him. Besides, I was raised with brothers and I’m a bit of a daredevil, so it was an exciting adventure for me. Made better by this wonderful man beside me.”

“Kate, why don’t you tell your story.”

“OK, I had a conference in Florida and Will figured he would tag along and do some diving while I was in sessions. Our car broke down and we were stuck on the side of the road.  We thought we heard something in the forest, so, my investigator here had to check it out and the daredevil in me, had to follow.  We ended up getting lost in the forest and Will had fallen into a hole and hurt his ankle. It got dark and we were cold. So, we found a spot to rest. I started a fire. I knew he was in pain, so I held him in my arms. We talked about Betty and Wilma, moth men, raining sleeping bags. He asked me to sing to him, which I did. He slept some, we talked some; all while I held him. It was an incredibly intimate experience. There was no sex, we talked, we listened, we laughed, we loved. It was magnificent. I’m sorry if that doesn’t tell you what you want, but it was as perfect as any experience could be.”

“No, you’re right, it was perfect.” Dr. Jake responded.  Mulder, in the meantime, took her hand in his and squeezed it.

Tim and Carla both talked about their first time. The excitement and love they felt for each other. Corbin couldn’t think of anything. Lisa, on the other hand decided to respond,

“The best time I can remember was while I was pregnant with my first child. I was feeling fat and ugly and Corbin walked in and stared at me.  I yelled at him. But he told me he was staring because I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He walked over and put his hand on my belly and kissed me. Corbin and I did not have the best beginning. Our ending is worse, but at that moment, I felt loved.”

Corbin looked at her in surprise. “I’m not good at sharing my feelings. But I always loved you.”

“Why Corbin? Tell Lisa why you love her.” Jake insisted. Corbin was silent until Lisa pleaded through her tears, “please.”

Corbin looked down then back at Jake.  “Look at her. She’s fire and ice. She’s the most exciting woman I’ve ever known. She makes my blood boil, sometimes hot sometimes cold, but she makes me feel alive.” Lisa started sobbing and Corbin reached over and hugged her.  Then he looked at Jake, “Can I tell my story?”. Jake nodded.

“It was the night she told me she was pregnant with our first. She was different. I think she was kind of overwhelmed. She told me she was scared. And for the first time since we met, she acted like she needed me. When we made love, it was the first time I actually felt like it was love. And it was wonderful.” 

Neither Jeff nor Belinda had anything to say. The emotion from their fight still raw. Dr. Jake accepted that and announced to the campers, “today, you will focus on writing the letter. Each couple will take either a canoe or a paddle boat over to the other side of the lake.  You will find paper and pens, lunch boxes, lawn chairs and lap desks.  So, dress comfortably, take a jacket because it’s cool out today and meet at the lake in ten minutes. See you soon.”

The agents opted to take a paddle boat. They both enjoy canoeing but the paddle boat allows them to sit side by side. They took it nice a slow while they enjoyed the beautiful scenery. They spoke about the events of the last few days, wondering if Corbin could possibly be the doctor’s stalker. Although, they agreed it didn’t seem likely. In fact, they didn’t feel any vibes from any of the campers. They quickly tired of talking about the case and instead talked about the scenery, or the wildlife, or nothing at all; just being together in silence.

They made it to the meeting place and Dr. Jake told everyone to start writing their letters.  As Mulder and Scully got their paper and pens, Dr. Jake asked to speak with them alone.

“Uh, I was curious as to why you were awake last night.”

Mulder looked unaffected, “Well… I’m a notorious insomniac. I rarely sleep at night, so it’s not unusual.  Although, I have to say, I have slept more since I’ve been here than I usually do.”

“Dr. Jake, why are you asking?” Scully wondered.

“One of the reasons for having the campfire marriage retreat here is because it offers a, relaxing atmosphere that allows our campers to have a wonderful, restful sleep.  I was just curious since I rarely notice any of my campers unable to sleep. But, I’m happy to hear you are getting rest. Now, get to writing your letters.”

The agents looked at each other then went to write their letters to each other. As they started writing, they couldn’t help but think about the other. What were they thinking about? What were their feelings? What do they want?  Their eyes wandered once again to each other.  This time, their gaze did not break.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

 

 


	8. Monday - The Letters

Chapter 8 – Monday – The Letters

 

The agents were finishing up writing their letters when Dr. Jake walked by to see their progress. He told them as soon as they were done to exchange letters and go somewhere private to read them.  Scully chose to sit at the lake shore with her bare feet in the water.  Mulder went back to the chair he had been sitting in, he wanted to clearly see Scully as she read her letter. They looked at each other, smiled and nodded, then Scully proceeded to start reading while Mulder put on his sunglasses to watch her.

 

_Dear Scully,_

_I probably should have said Kate, but I don’t want to write to Kate, I want to talk to you. To be honest, I don’t remember what we were writing about anyway. So, I’d like to free-write the thoughts and reflections I have been pondering since we’ve been here._

_The discussions we have had in our “sessions” as Will and Kate Morgan have been puzzling.We decided to stay as close to the truth as possible to be consistent. For professional investigative agents, this should be easy, but strangely, it is not. Because it is hard to pretend a lack of connection with the person I have the greatest connection with. Several times it was necessary to “act” and fabricate events. Thinking about this led me to muse about the truth. Truth.  What is the truth?_

_I have spent my adult life searching for the truth of what happened to my sister; the truth about government conspiracies covering up the existence of extraterrestrials; the search for what happened to you, who did it and why. These are separate truths that I will continue to seek answers for.  But, are they my truth? The whole truth? Are they your truth?_

_Sometime this week, I came to the realization that while these searches are components that make up the truth regarding Fox Mulder, they do not completely express my truth. You may not believe it, but this was quite an epiphany for me._

_You’re probably saying to yourself, what the hell are you talking about, Mulder? At least I hope so, that’s part of the truth that is you, Scully. Just bear with me.  
_

_This truth first embraced me on our first day. Remember when we were riding up the mountain in golf carts? The fresh air, the trees, the mountain, the look on your face... It gripped me. I was suddenly inundated with memories of camping with my father. We went rarely but the few times we did, I loved it. The fresh air, the trees, the mountain, my dad. I had never felt close to him, but during these trips, I felt a distinct attachment. We would talk. He would listen. We shared something special. I felt a real spiritual connection to him. It was mystical and had an energy that soared through my soul. Then, it was over. I think unconsciously I have yearned for that particular feeling since I was… young. I actually thought I would find it with Sasquatch. (I know you’re rolling your eyes, but hear me out.) That’s why, to this day, I put on my costume and go ‘squatchin’. I enjoy the fresh air, the trees, the mountains, and I search for that missing component. And it’s not Sasquatch joining me at the campfire. I had actually begun to think the feeling I experienced so long ago didn’t really exist.  That is, until three days ago when my life underwent a monumental change. Because, I found it. The truth. The fresh air, the trees, the mountains, and you. It was that same mystical connection that I felt camping with my dad. It staggered me. Took my breath away. I didn’t expect to enjoy this beautiful area with someone that means a great deal to me much less feel that energy soaring through my soul. And now that I found it, I discovered that I’m greedy. I don’t want it to end._

_That wasn’t the only shocking truth revealed to me. I remembered I liked to laugh. Not a chuckle or giggle, but a sidesplitting, belly laugh.  As a kid, Sam and I laughed all the time. We would cry real tears howling with laughter. After she was taken, there was nothing to laugh at. Nobody to laugh with. As an adult, the work put a damper on anything resembling humor. That’s not to say I never laughed. Being around the gunmen can bring a chuckle or two out of me. Movies, such as “Caddyshack”, makes me snicker out loud as does that great B Movie “The Claw”. (Remind me to show that to you sometime). But, hysterical tittering is something I rarely experience. The day we silently walked to the lake was unbelievable. It brought back memories of my childhood with Sam and our friends. There was one time you were impersonating that eagle where I couldn’t catch my breath. And, I know I saw tears coming out of your eyes while you were giggling. I don’t know about you, but that kind of hilarity is addicting. It made me feel lighter somehow; happier. Like most things that are addicting, I wanted more. A lot more._

_You told me once that my passion and devotion to the truth was so intense it was blinding. And you’re right, Scully. I have been blind.  Blind to the truth. My truth. I don’t want to be blind anymore._

_I’ve been forced to look back at the evolution of my life. I was a happy kid until Samantha was taken. From that point forward I just existed. I had friends, some close, some not. I had girlfriends. Let me reword that, I had dates. I joined the FBI. I discovered I could get into the heads of evil entities. I met the most deviant creatures ever born. My head filled with darkness. Family faded, friends disappeared, dates waned, so I focused on my quest. I isolated myself from other agents, who thought I was spooky, I had one woman who supported my work but when she was repeatedly relegated low in my list of priorities, she moved on. I didn’t mourn, I had my quest. I was called neurotic, obsessive, difficult, worthless, paranoid and I didn’t care. That’s not true, I did care, but didn’t dare let anybody notice._

_Then, one day I met this skeptical scientist who transformed my life. She questioned my radical theories constantly but never failed to listen anyway. And for over 5 years, she followed her spooky, crackpot, but brilliant, partner. My life has never been the same._

_Sometimes, someone will ask me “what’s the truth about you and Agent Scully?” I answer with the usual, “we’re partners”. But, Scully, you quit being just my partner early in our relationship. We are so much more than other agency partnerships. We’re friends, yes, I dare say you’re the best friend I’ve ever had. I cherish our working and personal relationship. I have loved watching you grow as an investigator. But, I have never allowed myself to seriously think about taking “us” to a different level. Never. I wouldn’t dare. What we have means too much to me. I don’t want to mess it up and we both know that I could._

_But, after the last few days, Scully, I have been thinking incessantly about the laughter, the fun, the fresh air, the trees, the mountains and … you._

_I don’t want to do anything to ruin what we have, but if I don’t say this now, I never will. I would love to perhaps go out with you, sometimes, maybe on a date. We can take it as slow as you want to or not at all, if you prefer. I hope this does not scare you because I wouldn’t do anything to make you uncomfortable. So I’m leaving it up to you.  You know how I feel and what I want. So …_

_Love,_

_Mulder_

 

 

Mulder saw she finished the letter but he couldn’t look at her for fear he would see distress in her face. Scully, in the meantime, knew Mulder was watching her read, so she decided she would do the same.  He slowly opened her letter and started to read while she watched.

 

_Dear Mulder,_

_Let me get right to the point._

_When I said I felt like you had pulled away from me, I was honest about that notion. But I have since come to believe that it was also me that had done the pulling away. You see, I’ve had a lot of time to think and a few realities came to light._

_One is that I have a fear of disappointing people I care about. It began with my father and continued through several relationships. I figured out that if I don’t get too close to people, I can’t disappoint them._

_In our work, I don’t fear disappointing you, Mulder, I hope you know that.  We have always had an open and equal relationship.  Honesty has been paramount in our partnership.  I can hold my head up during our work events because there is no fear. And for that, I will be forever grateful._

_But during personal issues, such as my cancer, I couldn’t stand the thought that I was letting you down by dying. Realistically, I know that death was something out of my control. However, emotionally, I looked at your face and my heart broke. Somehow, I needed to know you would be OK. I never told you this, but you came to me one night at the hospital. I was sleeping, but woke up to find you sobbing. I'm not saying this to embarrass you, but to better exemplify my fear of leaving you.  
_

_I also fear us being separated at the agency. Selfishly, I tell myself it's because you need me, but it's more likely it's the other way around. I guess that is why I try to insist you follow the rules. I don't want to give them ammunition to shut us down and separate us.  I wonder, sometimes, how much more we could accomplish if I wasn't so cautious._

_I wanted to explain what I meant when I mentioned Emily.  I knew I was going to try to adopt her and I might be forced to leave the FBI.  We never talked about the future with Emily, but the thought of disappointing you by leaving you was prevalent in my mind. Perhaps I imagined you putting up barriers about Emily as a way to help me through my fear.  
_

_Mulder, I guess what I'm trying to say is that many of the thoughts I feel are based on my own feelings. For some reason, we never talk. Not about personal things, anyway. I'm always afraid of saying the wrong thing, assuming the wrong thing, or believing that you are thinking or feeling something that you aren't._

_I regret all the things I did not say. Yes, I wrote to you in a journal about my cancer, but I didn’t want you to read it.  I wanted to talk to you about Emily, but didn’t want to be seen as weak._

_That’s another fear of mine. I have been conscious since I was a little girl that I had a responsibility to succeed. For my parents and family, for women, for scientists, for short women, the list could go on. I felt as if there was a weight on my shoulder and I couldn’t fail. I had to work harder, be tougher, be stronger and not fail. This feeling, this need to succeed was not put on me by anybody but me, I hope you know that._

_One of the people that I wanted to succeed for was you. I want you to be proud of me. You have never asked or insisted that I accomplish these things and you have always shown your appreciation. Other than a few times you might remember, :o)   I have always known how much you appreciate me._

_There are more fears and feelings I could discuss. But I want you to know that working with you has alleviated some of these fears. You have accepted my skepticism and questions and allowed me to grow at my own speed as we pursue paranormal activities that defy science. I’m still reluctant to admit beliefs not based in science, but you have forced me to see things beyond the realm of science and I appreciate it.  
_

_Sometimes, though, I do think about getting out of the car and pursuing at least a facsimile of a personal life. Which brings me to this week. Every day, I have looked forward to waking up and experiencing whatever is planned for us. The quiet hike was mind-blowing; the face touching, I have no words for; the zip-lining, I want to do again.  I think I’ve had a perpetual smile on my face._

_Mulder, I’m wondering if it’s possible to continue our work and still have a life.  Do you think we can talk about this? You know that I will not abandon our work. It’s as important to me as it is to you. Maybe we can explore some of the enjoyable things in life outside the realm of the office._

_Jake is coming this way, so I'll conclude. These are just some thoughts I’ve had.  I’m actually looking forward to talking to you about this._

_Love,_

_Scully_

 

 

Mulder folded the letter and looked up to see Scully still sitting at the water. He suppressed a grin and walked over to her and sat down. 

“Hey.”

She smiled shyly, “Hey.”

He smiled, “You want to take a walk and have a talk?”

She grinned, "Yes.  Yes I would like that."

They got up and Mulder took her hand.

 

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	9. Monday Afternoon/Evening

The agents walked silently down the lake shore hand in hand. Emotions ripe with need.  Words forming but being edited in their minds before uttering.  Before words could be spoken, however, Jake told everyone they were leaving; a shuttle was available to drive them down.  The agents stared at each other with regret etched across their face.  Scully then smiled and quietly promised, “soon”.

As they circled the lake, Jake announced the shuttle would make a quick stop at the campsite so they could change clothes or pick up money or credit cards. It seems they will be traveling to the Shenandoah Valley to a local winery for a tour and complimentary wine tasting.  After which, they would have dinner. The group, who had been quiet and contemplative perked up at this news as did the agents. 

“You ever been to a wine tasting, Kate?”

“No. Have you?”

“Nope.  I’m not too fond of wine, to be honest.”

“I love a good glass of wine.”

Mulder gazed into her eyes and put his arm around her, “Maybe you can teach me about what makes a good glass of wine.” 

“I can do that.”  She leaned into him as the shuttle drove through the park.

They arrived at the River Valley Winery and Mulder was happy to see they offer various types of whiskey and bourbon as well as wine.  They toured the small, family owned facility where all ingredients are locally grown and distilled.  The owners were friendly and well-informed.  They were also quite funny and had amusing answers to the variety of questions they were asked.  But they finally arrived at the tasting room to discover it was nothing as they expected.  The winery’s best seller was a sweet potato wine that Scully got excited about while Mulder uttered a “No way. Nuh uh.” She looked at him and grinned because she knew, without a doubt, she could get him to try it.  It took a bit of manipulative encouragement, but Mulder tried a taste and admitted it wasn’t bad. She even watched him take another sip when he thought she wasn’t looking. But he raved about the corn whiskey. Especially when paired with apple cider and cinnamon. They left the winery having bought two bottles of sweet potato wine, two bottles of corn whiskey, making sure each of their apartments had one, they also decided to buy a bottle of watermelon wine, because… why not?

The group had reservations at The Moonglow Restaurant in the downtown area, a trendy place housed in what appears to be a renovated homestead.   They were to meet at the bar area downstairs at seven o'clock before moving to the private dining area.  Since they were a little early, Mulder excused himself, telling Scully he had something to do and for her to get them a table in the bar.

“Where are you going?” She asked.

“I saw a tie in a window back there I have to have.”

“A tie? Seriously? Show it to me.”  She laughed.

“I want to surprise you.  Trust me.”  That’s when she realized there was no tie, it was a surprise for her.

“OK. But hurry back.”  He kissed her on the cheek and waited for her to go inside before he ran to the storefront of the jeweler he had met at the crafts fair.  Before he went in, he made sure she wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Can I help you?  Oh, Hi! I remember you; the amethyst and diamond.” The store owner stated.

“Yes. We’re having dinner over at the Moonshine and I saw your store and thought I’d go ahead and pay for it and ask if you could ship it.”

“Of course, and I believe it’s the Moonglow Restaurant.”  The man laughed.  “Let’s take care of it.”

In the meantime, Scully found Dee and Pat in the corner and joined them; noting that Dr. Jake had parked himself at the bar…alone. 

“What did you guys think of the wine tasting?” Scully inquired.

“Pat wasn’t impressed, but I loved it.  I’ve always preferred “fruity” type drinks and the fruit wines really hit the spot.”

Scully asked, “what didn’t you like, Pat?”

“I just don’t care for the taste of alcohol. Never have. Always got laughed at by others but nothing satisfies me like a Dr. Pepper.”  
Scully laughed,  “Will isn’t much of a wine drinker or vegetable eater, but I made him try the sweet potato wine and he liked it.”

“I did too” exclaimed Dee, “I couldn’t get this one to even try it.”

“What are we to do with our men?”  Scully and Dee laughed.

“What’s the joke, ladies?” Mulder asked walking up to them.

“Where’s the tie?”

“Oh…uh… it wasn’t me.  Should have taken you with me to pick something else.” He leaned over to kiss her lightly on the lips.

“Now, now, none of that. You’ll give us old guys a bad name.” Pat scolded.

“I have a feeling, Pat, you could give pointers to every guy here.  Including Dr. Jake.”  Mulder declared.  They laughed and Pat confirmed, “I sure can!” and kissed his startled wife passionately on the lips.  The other couples started clapping and Dr. Jake praised him for getting into the spirit of the marriage retreat.  

“Will, tell them how much you liked the sweet potato wine.” Scully insisted.

“There’s something empirically wrong about making an alcoholic beverage out of sweet potatoes. What’s next, Brussels sprouts wine? Collard greens wine?”

The laughter was infectious as Tim and Carla walked over to them, “What are we talking about here?” Tim asked.

“Making liquor out of vegetables.”  Mulder replied, “Asparagus wine.”

“Green bean wine.” Tim mentioned rolling his eyes.

“Honey, they do make French cut green beans.” Carla declared and the group groaned except Tim who kissed her full on the lips.

This peeked Pat’s curiosity, “I need to try that.  Dee, they make French cut green beans.”

Dee laughed heartily then kissed her husband.

“Hmm, I need to try this.  William, they make French cut green beans.” And while the others laughed, Mulder leaned in and kissed her with a passion she had only imagined.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, the maître d’ interrupted their joviality as he escorted them to the private dining room.The room was arranged with one large round table that easily held 11 people.  There were 3 servers assisting them as they ordered their drinks.  Pat was upset there was no Dr. Pepper but he accepted, with a grimace, a Mr. Pibb. Mulder ordered a beer while Dee and Scully ordered a Zinfandel white wine. 

The menu was exceptional and making choices was hard.  The agents conferred so they would each get something different and would share, widening their choices.  Their dinner experience began with the soup du jour, hot and sour shiitake soup. Scully loved it, Mulder turned his nose up.  He livened up when their appetizers arrived: Thai Garden Crab Rolls and Spanish Ceviche. Both were excellent although the intense spiciness of the Ceviche had Scully’s eyes watering and Mulder laughing with pure delight, especially when she reached for more. His Grilled Sirloin steak Dijon was mouthwatering as was her Dry Rubbed Pork Loin Steak with pineapple chutney.  So much so, they were fighting over the last bites. He won the “finger” war, but with loving precision, put the last bite of the steak on his fork and gave it to her. She thought about reciprocating, but with feistiness in her heart, she put her last bite of pork loin on her fork, and immediately shoved it in her mouth.  Mulder acted hurt and declared she would pay for her deceit.  Oh yes, she would pay.  He put his arm around her and their foreheads touched. They smiled at each other as this moment imprinted itself in their minds. Something to be recalled whenever they wanted. 

Jake told them they would have a short session along with dessert at the campsite.  The agents glanced at each other and knew they had avoid dessert, again.  They regretfully left the exquisite dinner and got back into the shuttle bus.

At the campsite, they were given peach cobbler accompanied by a glass of peach wine from River Valley.  The agents came up with a plan to discreetly get rid of the cobbler by spitting it out when they wipe their mouths.  The wine, however, was exceptionally good and each finished their glass. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I want us to talk about the letters.  What did you learn from them? Does it change anything? What are your thoughts?  Let’s start with Jeff and Belinda.”

Belinda looked at Jeff before she started speaking, “As you all know, Jeff blindsided me the other day with the declaration he wanted a baby. I have never wanted children.  I am not maternal in any way. I have never had those feelings and doubt if I ever will. When Jeff and I met, I made it clear what I wanted and was thrilled he felt the same way. Come to find out he has changed his mind.  I wrote to him about my feelings and thoughts and he did the same.  Today, we decided to talk about it and see if there is any middle ground.”  Belinda looked sad and depressed.

“Jeff, what are your thoughts?” Dr. Jake inquired.

“I’m looking forward to talking about it. I think we can work this out.” Jeff replied. Belinda looked at him with surprise.

“Excellent. Tim and Carla?”

Carla spoke up, “Well, like Jeff and Belinda, we wrote about our problems from our point of view and to be honest, I realized over the last few years, my own point of view is all I considered. I didn’t think about him at all. Or, his thoughts. Which is part of the problem.  I also realized that I have a lot of thinking to do and we have a lot of talking to do.”

Tim jumped in, “She’s right. Absolutely right. When we got together, we were such a great team and it just ended. But it wasn’t all her fault. I got caught up in work and she became irrelevant. I want our teamwork back and I think she does too.” Tim said as he gazed at his wife.

“I like what I’m hearing.  Good job, you two.  Lisa and Corbin?”

Corbin spoke up with defeat in his voice, “She wrote in her letter all of the things she didn’t like about being married to me.  And I get it.  She wants more. I’m a Mechanic. I like fixing cars.  I own my own business and make a good living. We have a nice house and nice cars, but it’s not enough. I came to realize that I can’t be who she wants me to be. And, if she wants a divorce, I won’t fight it. I just want my kids to be OK.”

“Lisa, do you have any comment?”

“No. Not really.” Lisa looked down and the agents realized they had not heard much from the vivacious Lisa all day.

“OK, Dee and Pat?”

Dee said, “I wrote about how much he means to me. About what kind of man he is. And that his retirement doesn’t change one iota of who he is.  He wrote about how afraid he was that I would see him as less of a man since he lost his job. The truth is, I’m more proud of him now than ever. It was tough for him to say goodbye to something that consumed his life for so many years. He accepted the inevitable gracefully like the incredible man he is.  After talking, we both decided that this would not define us, that we would survive.  Together.”  They kissed while the group applauded.

“Fantastic, you two. Will and Kate?”

Scully nodded at Mulder who took the lead, “We both wrote about why it appeared we were pulling away. We discovered we both have issues in our past that affected how we respond in a relationship. One of those things was the lack of communication. We made assumptions that were incorrect and never talked about it, therefore, barriers were erected that didn’t have to be if we had simply talked about it.”

“Kate? Your thoughts?”

“We have vowed to have a nice long talk.”

Jake stood, “Very good.  Because tomorrow, you will have an opportunity to have those talks. It is scheduled to rain tomorrow afternoon, so we are going to take a nice bike ride tomorrow morning, then when the rain starts, we’ll go to our tents and talk.  So, everyone, retire for the evening, have a nice sleep and I’ll see you in the morning.”

Mulder and Scully walked slowly to their tent when Scully reluctantly admitted, “Mulder, I’m unbelievably sleepy.”

“Me too.  But we had no cobbler.”

“But we had wine. Could they have put something in the wine?”

“I don’t know. Maybe. Let’s try to stay awake.” They started to get dressed, but he literally fell on the bed. Scully sat in the chair thinking it would help but slumber consumed her. 

Sometime in the night, Scully stumbled to bed. She cuddled next to Mulder and they both slept in each others arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	10. Tuesday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Tuesday morning and early afternoon session.

Scully woke up in Mulder’s arms. She opened her eyes and saw him staring at the ceiling biting his bottom lip.  Uh-oh. She wonders what he’s tense about.

“Hey” She said softly.

He looked at her smiling, “Hi!”

“What has you tense?”

“What makes you think I’m tense?”

“You’re biting your bottom lip.”

He laughed, “You know me so well, Scully.”

She smiled back, “What’s up, Mulder?”

He rolls on his side toward her. “These last few days have been probably the best of my life. But I can’t help but still wonder why we’re here.  I checked the surveillance cameras early this morning and nothing happened last night. No nocturnal visits from anybody.”

Scully nodded, “I know.  I know.  Something isn’t right, I feel it in my gut. Part of me thinks we’re being set up for something and part of me disputes the paranoia.”

Mulder looked intently at her. “I know one thing for sure.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t want to waste a second of what’s happening now.  It will all end soon enough and real life will bombard us." He looked slight morose until  he suddenly perked up,  "Although, we ARE going on a date!”  He grinned.  “Oh wait, you never said yes to my offer.”

“I didn’t, did I.  Hmmm. What shall I say?” She replied teasingly. She then put her arms around him and said, “I would love to go on a date with you, Mulder.”  They kissed lightly and got out of bed.

Mulder mused, “I have slept with you three nights in a row and didn’t sleep with you. I think I need to see a doctor about that.”

“I am a doctor, Mulder.”

“That is my plan, Dr. Scully.”

They walked to the breakfast buffet and decided to only eat some whole grain cereal and fruit.

“Kate! How can you pass up that beautiful buffet?”  Dee laughed.

“I have eaten so much the last few days, I need to give my stomach a break.”

“Et tu, Will?” Pat was astounded when he saw Mulder’s cereal and fruit.

“My wife is my doctor. Gotta heed her instructions.” Mulder replied with a smile.

“So, today is a bike ride. I’m not sure if Pat and I are up to it.  Bad knees and all.” Dee stated.

“I haven’t ridden a bike in years. How about you, Will?” Scully asked.

“My sister and I used to ride all over the Vineyard. But, I admit, it’s been a few years.”

 

Following breakfast, the group sat in their customary seats for the morning session.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the question I want to ask this morning is what change that your spouse is wanting you to make in your marriage are you willing to make.  Let’s start with Tim and Carla.  Tim?”

“My wife wants us to be partners. I want that to, but, we don’t know how to start. I have to work; she’s got the kids. I’m afraid when we get back home, it’ll go back the way it was.”

“Carla, how do you respond to that?”

“I feel the same way. I’m afraid nothing will change if we don’t change something substantially.”

“OK, if each of you could change one thing, what would it be?” Jake asked.

Tim and Carla looked at each other but just shook their heads.  Jake pressured them some, “I can see you both have something to say, but you’re not saying it.  Carla, take a risk.  A risk for your marriage, your family, your life.  Just say it.”

She responded with frustration, “OK. I want to work. I love my kids, I love being a mother, but I feel like I can be a mother and earn some money also. That would take some pressure off of Tim to think he has to work overtime. And maybe make him see me as a person again.”

Tim asked, “Why have you never said this to me before?”

“I don’t know, Tim. We just quit talking.”

Tim looked at his wife and made a decision, “Since you’re being honest, I guess I can too … I _hate_ being an accountant. My parents told me this would be a good career for me, so I majored in it, got a job, became successful, but I’m miserable.”  Tim laughed.  “I’ve never admitted that out loud.”

“Timmy, why didn’t _you_ tell me?”

“Tell you I hated my life? I hated my work, I hated what was happening with us, what I had become? I felt guilty for hating what everybody told me was the perfect life. And it’s not you or my kids! I love you, I love them, I just hate me.”

“Is that why you had an affair?” Carla tentatively asked.

“There was no excuse for that, honey. I’m a repulsive piece of filth.” Tim put his head in his hands.

“Just talk to me, Timmy.”

“I don’t know … I guess I wanted to feel something. But all I felt was guilt and more hatred of myself.”

Dr. Jake interjected. “Maybe that’s why it happened, Tim. You knew how you would feel and perhaps you wanted that pain.  And you leaving your phone with pictures and texts where it was easily accessible to Carla was your way of making sure she found out. It was you that signed up for this marriage retreat. You paid a premium rate to fast track your request. You wanted Carla to know what was happening so she could help you escape this _perfect_ life that you hate.”

Tim starts sobbing and Carla held him in her arms.

“Let’s jump to Will and Kate.”

Mulder straightens up in his chair. “I forgot the question.”

Jake laughed, “What change does Kate want you to make that you are willing to make.”

Mulder scrunched his forehead, “we haven’t …uh, I know she wants me to quit ditching her. When I’m following a lead, a story, I have a tendency to develop tunnel vision. I forget everyone and everything.”

Jake raised his eyebrows, “Including Kate?”

“Including Kate. I have been known to disappear for days and she wouldn’t know where I was.  I am prepared to promise her not to do that anymore. She deserves more than my silence.”

Scully smiled, then realized it was her turn. “Well, I have a tendency to hold back things I am feeling. If I don’t feel good, I’ll say, ‘I’m fine’ and I know he hates that. I am prepared to tell him what I’m feeling and not hide anymore.”

The remainder of the couples spouted non-specific answers such as they promise to communicate more.  Jake, however, was not satisfied with the answers.

“Ladies and gentlemen for the past 4 days, we have engaged in activities to make you communicate, to make you see each other in different ways, to make you open up, to explore ways to enrich your relationship.  I’m still hearing people holding back.  So, we’re going to take a bike ride on bicycles-built-for-two. It is an easy ride around the lake on a special bike trail. Go as slow as you want or as fast as you want. But you have work to do. You have to trust each other and talk to each other. Talk. Talk about what your dreams are. What your needs are. What your wants are. Then, we’ll talk again.  It appears the rain is holding off for a while, so when we get back, we’ll have lunch and meet again. Ah, there are our bikes and Julie, from the lodge, who will teach you how to ride!”

“Hello! I’m Julie, and I will show you how to ride the tandem bike. You will see that it features two seats, two sets of pedals and two sets of handlebars so two riders can ride at the same time. It may look like they are easy to ride, but, these bicycles _can be_ difficult to ride if the two riders don’t work together. So, it’s important that you and your partner are on the same page.”   A groan was heard from the group and, although Scully assumed it came from Lisa, it was possibly from one of the other campers.

Julie continued, “We use different terms for the two riders. The rider in the front is known as the captain. It is usually the larger and physically stronger of the pair as well as the one with the most biking experience.  It is acceptable for the smaller and lighter of the pair to be the captain, but not until they have more tandem biking experience. So, if whoever you choose to be the captain will come up here, I need to fit you to a bike.  It is important that the bike be fitted for your height and weight or you will put both you and your partner in jeopardy.”

Scully immediately told Mulder he was going to be the captain. Dee and Pat were clearly worried but Julie said Pat looked like a natural captain and they would be fine. All of the men were chosen as the captain of their tandem and after fitting them to the right bike, Julie continued.

“Captains, you are responsible for steering, braking, and keeping the bike balanced. The rider on the back is known as the stoker. You don’t have to steer but you are expected to produce at least as much power for the bike as the captain does. Which means, equal pedaling. The stoker is also responsible for directing the captain as you must keep an eye out for upcoming turns or slowdowns, reading signs, and so on. Remember, the captain is controlling the bike, you are directing the captain.” Mulder laughed as Scully whispered that nothing has changed, she’s always directing Mulder.

“Riders, it is incredibly important that the captain and stoker work together to keep the bike moving and preventing accidents.  The captain must communicate with the stoker on when to start and stop peddling. The captain cannot NOT communicate.  It can be dangerous. The stoker, you are responsible for listening to and following the captain’s instructions without hesitation. Don’t ask why or try to argue with them, that will cause an accident. If either rider fails in their responsibilities, the bike could tip over or lose speed.  Do you have any questions?”

Dee immediately raised her hand. “I just don’t think we can do this. We’ve never ridden a bicycle with gears, we wouldn’t …”

Julie walked over to her.  “It’s OK. Everybody, please don’t worry. All of you are riding vintage tandem bikes. They are not for advanced riders, they are designed for people, just like you, that are beginning tandem riders. They have no gears. This is a very short trek along the lake.  It is level and has a few pull outs for you to sight see.  The brakes are on the captain’s handle bars and both of you have handlebars that are higher and seats that are wider for better comfort.  If you enjoy tandem cycling, then we have more advanced bikes and some very difficult biking trails if you are interested.  Any other questions?”

Scully raised her hand, “We are nine inches different in our heights.  Will that affect riding?”

Julie laughed, “not after I adjust your seat. Once the stoker is seated, we will be making adjustments to make it more comfortable.  Now, I need to ask a question.  Do you trust each other?”

Nobody answered.  Jake walked to the front to face them all.  “She asked you, do you trust each other?  Dee? Pat? Do you trust each other?”

Pat and Dee both nodded and answered, “yes”; “yes we do.”

“Will? Kate?”

Mulder said, “more than anybody else in the world.”

“Same here.” Scully asserted.

“Tim? Carla?”

Carla smiled, “absolutely.” 

Tim returned her smile and said, “me too.”

The other two couples could not vow they trusted each other. Dr.  Jake told Corbin, Lisa, Jeff and Belinda to walk with him for a moment.

Julie told the three remaining couples to come with her while they positioned the bikes.  “Captains, how many of you are right handed?  Good! All three.  That is the foot you will start peddling on.  You will now straddle the bike. Do not sit on the seat or put your feet on the peddles. Stand with your feet far apart so the peddles don’t hit you when they move as we get ready to ride.  Your job is to keep the bike steady.  Stokers, get ready to mount the bike.  It will feel like it is moving and you will want to put your feet on the ground, but _trust_ your captain. He is keeping it steady and will not let it fall. If you believe that, you will be fine. When you get on, put your feet on the peddles and move them until the right peddle is on top.  Are you ready?  David, Sam and I will assist you.  Captains, don’t do anything but keep the bike steady.  Stokers, get on your bikes.”

Scully threw her leg over and sat on the seat.  The bike wobbled some as Mulder struggled to keep it steady, but she knew he would not let it fall, so it was easy for her. The other couples … it didn’t go so well. Eventually, however, all the stokers were in their seats with their feet on the peddles.

“Excellent job, bikers!  Now, there will be three commands that the captain will give. The first one is ON.  The stoker is the one that initiates peddling.  When the captain says ON, stoker will begin peddling with their right foot. At exactly the same time, the captain will put his foot on the right peddle and lift the leg that was on the ground to the left peddle and start peddling while he mounts his seat.  And you’re riding!  When the captain is ready to start braking, he will say OFF and stokers, you stop peddling.  The third command is BUMP, that’s to warn the stoker that it might not be smooth ahead.  Remember, the second the captain says ON, you both move. You cannot hesitate. Don’t ask questions, don’t argue, don’t hesitate.  Trust each other.  David and Sam will be riding along with you, so if you get into trouble, they will be right with you.  Captains, when you are ready, say ON.”

Mulder asked Scully if she was ready, “let’s do this, captain.”

The ride was perfect. If there’s one thing Mulder and Scully are superior at and it’s reading each other. They stopped at the end of the easy trek and waited until the other two couples caught up. They finally rode up laughing hysterically.  Pat and Dee, Tim and Carla all tried to explain (at the same time) how it took them forever to get going, but, they’re having a blast now.  David and Sam said they have an option, they can turn around and go back to the campsite or continue on the trail around the lake.  It’s level with no obstacles.  They all decided to keep going.

It started raining shortly before they arrived back at the campsite, but they didn’t care.  Riding in the rain felt like the heavens opened up to shower them with re-energizing drops of life.  At one point, Scully spread her arms and lifted her face upward to welcome the inspiring restoration.

They got off of their bike and ran to their tent. They immediately threw themselves into each other’s arms.

“I have never felt so ….” Scully started

“alive?” Mulder finished.

“alive.  Mulder, I want to do that again. The wind in my face.  The rain. You.”

“Scully, I… I have so much I want to say.  I have _never_ felt this way before. I …”

“It’s OK, Mulder.  I know.  And there’s plenty of time.  Let’s enjoy this, go back to work, go on our date and go from there.”

Jess knocked on their tent and said Dr. Jake wants everybody to meet at a modified meeting area for lunch and a session in 30 minutes.

After showering and changing, the agents met for a lunch of hamburgers and hot dogs.  People spontaneously talked about the bike ride, especially the funny mishaps just trying to get started.  Even Lisa and Corbin laughed about their wobbly start.  Dr. Jake then asked his question,” What did you learn about your spouse? Jeff?”

“I learned Belinda has never ridden a bike, ever. But she tried. I learned she has difficulty following a command without comment.”  He laughed.

“Did that make you angry?”

“No, not at all. That’s who she is.  She’s very strong willed.  Strong minded.  Independent. That’s why I fell in love with her.”

Dr. Jake thought for a moment. “Does Belinda ever show vulnerability?”

“Rarely.  That’s not who she is.”

“That’s twice you’ve talked about who she is and you accept that. Do you not want her to change?”

“No! I love who she is, I want her to quit changing!” Jeff finally admitting.  “We are always going to seminars and conferences and reading books and exploring who we are to expand our experience and becoming more than we are.  I … I guess I want some stability or something.  I like who she is.  I like who I am.  I thought maybe a baby would steady us or something.”

“Belinda, what is your house or home like?” Dr. Jeff wondered.

“We don’t have a home. We … move a lot.” Belinda looked slightly perplexed. 

“After this session, I’d like to meet you both in your tent.  Will and Kate, what did you learn about your spouse?”

Mulder spoke up. “I’ve never felt like this with anyone before.” He looked at Scully.

“Why does that surprise you?”

“I’m … I haven’t had the greatest experiences with women.”

“Why.”

“Because I’m a kook.  Remember? Kooky? I have a one track mind, I believe in conspiracy theories, I’m considered weird, not a team player.”  Mulder looked down, not able to keep himself from talking.  “Most of the girls I dated in high school did it on a dare. I quit dating. In college, I had a serious relationship with a girl who was brilliant, beautiful and everybody loved her.  I felt like I had to be worthy if she wanted me. But, I found her with my roommate, then discovered she had screwed my faculty advisor, the Dean, the chaplain as well as most of our class.  And I kept taking her back.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I didn’t want to go back to feeling like a loser.”

“When I graduated and started my career, I dated just for sex. Then, I met someone that really seemed to like me.  She was different from Phoebe. She believed all of my ideas, encouraged me, laughed at my jokes, I thought she was the one. But, she left me. To be honest, I didn’t really care.  I had my career. But, when I met Kate, she challenged me, questioned me, made me work for her trust, made me work for her love. I feel more alive with Kate than I have with anybody."

"But?" Dr. Jake prompted.

"But there is always this nagging feeling that it’s not real, or I’m not good enough, or I’ll screw it up. So, I hold back.  No more.”  He looked at Scully again. “This is it for me. I know what the real thing is and, it’s you. I’ll probably screw up, because that’s what I do, but I’m not terrified anymore of losing you. Because I not only trust you with my life, but I trust you with my heart.”

“Kate?”

“What always held me back was similar to Will. My past experiences.  I was an overachiever, an army brat, a Brainiac. I had to be perfect, behave perfect and not disappoint. I tended to choose boys then men who were more accomplished than me. That way  I had to work harder to please them. They were usually domineering and demanding which made it more satisfying when I pleased them. But after a while, I couldn't do it anymore. I wanted someone who wanted me, flaws and all.  With Will, I never felt like I had to please him. He would challenge me and tell me I was wrong, but it didn’t change his feelings for me. I didn’t know that I trusted that way until today.  For some reason, the bike riding today showed me that my trust in him is all inclusive. I can be me.  I can be flawed.  I can be silly.  I can make mistakes.  And he will still love me.”

Scully leaned over and kissed Mulder full on the mouth.  Both knowing these were words of truth.

The other three couples spoke their truths.  Even Corbin and Lisa admitted their feelings for each other are stronger than they had realized.  But Scully and Mulder didn’t hear. All they heard were the affirmations of their feelings for each other.  The day for full disclosure would come, maybe sooner rather than later.  But for now; today was enough.

TO BE CONTINUED


	11. Tuesday Evening

**Tuesday Evening**

The rain continued for the rest of Tuesday.  A large tarp had been put up over the camping area, however, when the rain was at its heaviest, the couples all went to their tents.  The agents played a board game, then turned some music on while they took a short nap.  They finally went to their favorite surveillance chair to watch the rain.  Scully sat in his lap and they talked.  They talked about everything.  Childhood antics, first kisses --

“Who gave you your first kiss and how would you rate it, Scully?”

“Eighth grade dance, my neighbor Joey was my date, and, how would I rate it … I’d give it a 10.”

“Seriously?”

“It was my first ever kiss; I’ll never forget it. Joey was a good friend, my pal, my buddy.  He saw other couples kissing and he asked if I wanted to kiss too. I said, OK. So we did. It was memorable; just a sweet, perfect tap on the lips. I will cherish it forever.”

“Geez, now I want to kiss Joey.”

“He was lovely. His parents were sent to Germany during summer beak and I never saw or heard from him again. I hope he’s well.  How about you?

“uh… I think I was three and I grabbed a cousin and kissed her on the mouth. She hit me and cried that I was mean and my mother spanked me.  I’d rate it a 10, I kissed a girl and don’t remember it.”

They talked about high school –

“You have to understand, Scully, my sister had been taken. Some thought I did it, they didn’t believe I couldn’t remember what happened. People were always staring at me. My father started drinking heavily, my mother teetered between grief, anger, pretense. So I found acceptance in sports. Basketball, baseball and track. I excelled. Won awards. I had a few teachers that liked me. Most couldn’t stand me because I would argue with them. I had some good friends, most were weirdos like me. I made good grades and graduated something like number 7 or 8 in my class.”

“Girls?”

“You heard my first kiss story, that was just the beginning. _Good_ girls were told by their parents to stay away from me.  _Bad_ girls, well, they wanted to be seen with the strange boy. There was a girl I really liked.  She was a _good_ girl. We worked on a project together and she was very sweet, kind. She listened to me and didn’t judge me. We would sneak around to see each other. We pretty much spent the last few months of our senior year secretly dating. She went to my baseball games and we would write letters. She was … my first and I was hers.”

“What happened?”

“Her mother found the letters and they forbade her to see me. They told my parents that they were going to have me arrested, but, we were both 17, so nothing happened with that. It was so close to graduation, I played sick and didn’t go to school the last few weeks. The last time I saw her was at graduation. She was valedictorian, and the instant it was over, they shipped her somewhere. Never saw or heard from her again.”

“Did you love her?”

He shook his head, “I told her I did, but what do we know about love at seventeen? I liked her. She was my friend. She didn’t judge me. But, I also knew it would end. Either she would figure out I was a whack job, or her parents would find out. So I wouldn’t let myself get too invested.”

They talked about their most embarrassing moment –

“The band was in some kind of competition.” Scully said.

“Band? Scully! You were a band nerd? I assumed you were a cheerleader.”

Scully laughed, “No, Mulder. I was a band nerd.  Anyway, I thought the band director had indicated we were to begin and I did, but nobody else did. It was like a giant honk. The band director looked at me and I heard people laughing and I just wanted to die.”

Mulder looked fascinated.  “Do… do you still have your clarinet?”

“Actually, I do. But I haven’t played in years. The joy went away after my big goof.”

“So you hit your note early, it’s not that big a deal.”

“You would have thought I launched a nuclear bomb. I guess in the grand scheme of things it was nothing, but at the time … “

They talked about their siblings –

“Bill, Jr. was a butthead, Melissa was crazy, Charlie was my precious baby brother.”

“And you?”

“I was perfect Dana.  Melissa thought it was her duty to make me not-perfect.”

“Did she hear you play the clarinet?”  She hit Mulder on the shoulder.

“She told mom we were going to the movies.  We drove to a graveyard instead. We met another car there. She jumped out and got in the other car. In the meantime, some other guy gets out of the passenger side and gets in OUR car. I was terrified and angry. I realized he was angry too.  I stayed quiet, but he started ranting. He thought he was going to the movies with his cousin, the guy my sister rode off with. He was so upset at his cousin,  I knew I wasn’t in any trouble. So, we went to the movie and it was fun.  He drove me back to the graveyard and my sister got back in the car and we went home.”

“Did you tell your mom?”

“No.  I didn’t want to ruin it. That was my first date.  Sort of.  He didn’t ask me and I didn’t agree to go, but, in my fourteen-year old mind, it was a date.”

Jess knocked and delivered two boxed dinners:  fried chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes.  They suspected it was KFC repackaged into a Styrofoam box. No dessert this time so they grabbed a couple of beers and settled down for dinner.

“Scully, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever eaten?”

“Other than this fake KFC and not real potatoes?”

“yep”

“I used to put mayonnaise on my peanut butter sandwiches.”

“GROSS”

“What about you, Mr. picky-eater.”

“Peanut butter and onion sandwich.  Yummy.”

“Eww.  And you made fun of mine?”

“Hey, I have an idea. We can make a peanut butter with mayonnaise and onion sandwich and share it.”

Scully looked at him.  “no.”

The rain finally stopped and the group got around the campfire for the evening session.

“Ladies and gentlemen.  First, this is our next to last session.  I will have private sessions with anyone that would like to talk after we finish here.  And we will have a session after breakfast tomorrow.  After which, we will travel down to the lodge for a day of pampering.  All of you will participate in the couple’s spa session, after which you will be provided formal clothing for dinner and dancing.  I asked you the other day what you learned about your spouse.  If I asked you that today, would your answer be the same?”

Mulder immediately raised his hand.

“Will?”

“My answer would be different.   I learned that I like this woman. I like being with her. Every day I learn something new. She fascinates me. She’s funny. She’s kooky.  She likes to eat mayonnaise on her peanut butter sandwich. I can’t get enough of her. I enjoy waking up every day knowing I’m going to  see her.  I’m excited to see where this journey takes us. Because whatever it is, it will be the adventure of a lifetime.”

“Kate?”

“I don’t remember what I said. It was probably something I thought was appropriate.I lear ned that this man makes me want to be myself. Not the perfect version of myself, but the real me. I learned that our past has influenced our present more than we could have imagined. And somehow, we need to put the past aside. Learn from it, accept it, acknowledge it, but don’t let it control our destiny. Because our past is only a part of who we are.  We are so much more. And I am also excited to see where this journey takes us.”

“Very good. Anybody else?”

Oddly enough, Lisa raised her hand.

“What Kate just said about our past controlling our future might have happened to me. I was poor growing up and I swore I would never, ever live like that. I haven’t gone back home to see my parents in years.  I …  I think it makes me do things that I … sometimes I don’t like who I am because of …”

Corbin took her hand, “Lisa. I know how bad it was for you growing up. I get it.  Maybe if you talk to somebody.  Someone that could help you put the past behind you.”

“I’m afraid it’s too late, Corbin.  I don’t know if I can change.”

“It’s worth a try. You’re worth it.“

“Corbin and Lisa, let’s talk after this session.”

“I’d like to say something.” Belinda said.  “Jeff and I have talked a great deal and I .. I understand what he wants and I think he understand me.  What if … what if we rented a house.  And, uh, got a dog.”

Jeff looked like he had just won the lottery. He grabbed Belinda and hugged her. “Thank you.”

“While we’re sharing,” Tim said, “Carla and I decided we want to teach. I love math, she loves art, we’re going to both get certified to teach and see if we can get at the same school, close to home.”

Dr. Jake was ecstatic and he would have said more, but the rain started falling again and the couples retired to their tents. The agents went back to their favorite surveillance chair to watch the rain again. Holding each other. Talking about the parts of their lives before they met. They had never been happier.

**TO BE CONTINUED.**

 

 

 


	12. Wednesday - their last full day

 

Chapter 12

**WEDNESDAY**

The agents slept well.  Mulder laughed as he woke up, “Best sleep I had without being drugged.”

They determined it was the soothing sound of the rain, the cool weather and the great bed.  Both Scully and Mulder then privately added, “and being in your arms.” They got up to check the surveillance and, once again, there was nothing. They got back under the covers and cuddled in their warm and cushy bed.  Content just to be together.

“We go home tomorrow, Mulder.”

“Yep.”

“I don’t know what we’re going to tell Skinner.”

“The truth, I guess. Other than some nocturnal wandering by one of campers, we saw nothing.”

“Mulder?”

“Hmm?”

“What happens when we get back?”

“You mean with us?” Scully nodded.

“We go on our date!” Mulder smiled.

“And then what?” She asked.

Mulder thought for a moment.  “What do you want to happen, Scully?”

She contemplated this for a moment. “Well, what do you want, Mulder?”

Mulder laughed, “And here we go. Neither one of us wants to be honest about what we want.  Think we can sign up for another week of therapy?”

Scully laughed, “I wish, Mulder, I really do.”

She took a deep breath and wondered, “Why do we do that? We have no problem being completely honest about a case, but not about our feelings.”

“I know. I think it’s because we’re not confident in what the other is thinking. Our theories are ideas, feelings are personal.”

Scully thought about this for a few seconds then smiled. “I think I’m pretty confident in us. I am! So, I’ll answer your question.  Mulder, I want our work relationship to not change.  You need to be you and I need to be me.  That means, agent Mulder, no kissing, no hugging and no nookie while we're on the job.”

Mulder looked hurt.  “You mean no hitting the stop button on the elevator and having wall sex?”

Scully giggled which shot joy straight into Mulder’s heart.  “No.  No elevator boom boom.”

“I think I’m going to cry.”

“I also think no fooling around when we’re out of town on a case.”

“Scully!  I am going to cry.”

She gave him a quick kiss.  “You didn’t let me finish. I also don’t want to tell anybody. This would complicate our working relationship and I don’t want _anything_ to interfere with that.  However, when we leave that Hoover parking lot, the time is ours.  Mulder, it’s really important to me that we keep our professional and private life separate. I mean, look at us here.  Just thinking about myself, I _know_ that I am having a terrible time focusing on the case. We can’t let that happen during a real case, not to say this isn’t real, but … “

Mulder interjected, “I know what you’re saying. If there’s danger and we aren’t focused, it could be detrimental.”

“Right, I can’t afford to lose my concentration in this job.”

Mulder brushed her hair back, “You would never. You are the consummate professional. Now, me? I can see that happening with me.  Seriously, everything you said makes sense, Scully, and I agree with you 100%. I can do what you want.  Yes, I can do that.  Maybe.”

“We can at least try.” She grinned.

“And us?”

“This is not going to sound like me and I can’t believe I’m saying it, but, I’d kind of like to just play it by ear.  Let’s go on our date and see where it takes us.  Just...just go with what we feel and not worry about all the other stuff.”

“The more you talk, the more I like the way you think, agent Scully.  Now, when you say don’t tell anybody, you mean just at work?  Or what about your mom?”

Scully didn’t say anything for a while, then she smiled.  “I have an idea. Let’s make a bet. We have dinner with Mom next week. We act like we always do. And we see if she figures it out.”

“What does the winner get if they win?”  Mulder challenged.

“We’ll have an appropriate prize.  So do you want to take the stance she will figure it out or she won’t.” 

“You pick and I’ll take the other. Now let’s go back to our date. We get back on Thursday. So, … how about we go out on Friday?”

“It’s a date.”

They heard movement outside their tent, so they got up and dressed for breakfast. They decided for their last day, they would indulge in the buffet one more time. Mulder was happy because they had blueberry pancakes, something he rarely has a chance to enjoy.  They joined Dee and Pat who were talking about the luxury spa.

“Kate, have you ever been to one of these spas?” Dee inquired.

“Actually, I have. I spend so much time on my feet, that sometimes I will treat myself to a massage and, occasionally, a facial.”

“That’s right, you’re a surgeon.” Dee remarked. “We’ve had great conversations, but we really don’t know much about each other.”  Scully immediately tensed but Dee continued, “I know they told us in the paperwork to not get too personal with the other campers as it could impede the non-judgmental attitude being cultivated.  But, I sure do get curious.”

Scully agreed, “It’s only natural.  I get curious too, but I understand the warning.”

“When all this is over, I sure would like to stay in touch.  If you like, of course.” Dee asked tentatively.

“I think that would be lovely, Dee.”

Pat, however, was ready to change the topic to something that had been bothering him, “Have you done a couple’s message before?”

Scully shook her head, “No. This should be interesting.”

“I don’t want someone rubbing all over me. Why can’t they let us go play golf?” Pat declared.

Mulder perked up, “I’m with you, Pat. I mean, I don’t mind a massage, but I want my doctor to massage me.  Naked.”  Mulder waggled his eyebrows.

“William.” Scully warned but Pat was already in a panic mode.

“We have to get naked?  Oh no.  I’m not getting naked.”

Scully laughed, “You don’t have to be.  At the spa I go to, you have options.

Dee breathed a sigh of relief.  That is until Scully said, “it’s actually better if you just let them massage you without the impediment of underwear.”

Mulder shot her a look, “What? The person massaging you _is_ a woman, right?”

“Sometimes.” She answered, giving Dee a wink.

“We … what … I  … Katherine!”

“It’s OK, punkin'. It will feel so good, you won’t care.” The others laughed while she continued, “I truly don’t know what they will do at this one. Day spas offer various amenities. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Dr. Jake walked over to their table, “I just wanted to see how you were doing?”

The group all responded positively and Jake pulled up a chair at the end.  “I’d like to talk with you about what happens when you go back home.  What are your plans?”

Scully laughed, “It’s funny you ask because we were talking about that this morning. We decided to continue focusing on our jobs. We're not going to try to change anything about our work because it is part of who we are.  We need to know and understand that sometimes I will be stuck in a surgery and not available and sometimes he has a lead he has to jump on and may ditch me. But, even though we are focusing on work, we will make sure we communicate with each other so the other doesn’t worry and doesn’t feel disrespected.”  Mulder jumped in at that point, “We also decided that we will leave work at work. We will dedicate plenty of time for us. And when we’re together, that’s our priority.”

“Do you feel that all of your concerns have been rectified?” They both nodded and answered yes.

“Dee and Pat?”

Dee answered, “Pat has decided to find a job.  He has worked since he was 14 years old, I think he deserves to take it easy. But he also doesn’t want to be idle. After hearing about Tim and Carla wanting to teach together, I’m going to check at the university. There are always job openings for both full-time and part-time. He’s really good with computers, so there might be something in the I.T. department.”

Pat spoke up, “And I love spending time with my DeeDee. It would not hurt my feelings to come by her office and give her a quick peck on the cheek.”

“Is this what you want, Pat?”

“Ever since we talked about it, I’ve felt like a new man. Like I have a purpose now. Like I’m not old and washed up.  I wasn’t ready to retire. I have a lot of life to live. But when it is time to retire, I want us to go together, buy us an RV and travel around the country.  Trying new things, eating new things, seeing new things.  With my DeeDee.”

“Do you feel that all of your concerns have been rectified?” They both nodded and answered yes.

“Excellent. I’m very pleased with how hard you worked. You took it seriously and allowed yourself to grow together.  I’m very proud of you all.” Dr. Jake then moved on to another table. 

After breakfast, the campers were given free time to relax, read, walk to the lake, play games, whatever they wanted.  Our agents decided to relax at the campsite and play a game.  They would have preferred to walk to the lake, but something in their gut told them to stay close to Dr. Jake today. 

For lunch, they were served a light lunch of quinoa salad with cranberries, egg and avocado sandwich, and shrimp spring rolls with peanut sauce.  Mulder was not excited with lunch and supplemented it with snack crackers, cookies and sunflower seeds from the snack box. After lunch, the campers got their backpacks together then boarded a shuttle bus for their spa experience.  They arrived at the spa and was met by a young woman named Heather who described their afternoon.

“First, all of you will have a sixty-minute couple’s massage. Then, you have a choice between one of our facials, or a specialized sports massage that targets specific muscles for those of you that are athletic. After that, you will receive a Mani Pedi, then spend some time in the pool.  At that point, you will separate and go to the salon where you will be fitted for formal wear.  Each of you will now be taken to a couple’s suite with a fireplace, candles and rose petals. You will take a shower and change into your robes.  Follow me.”

Mulder elected to keep his underwear on under his robe, while Scully went without.  Having Mulder beside her made her a little uncomfortable knowing she would have to remove her robe before being draped with a sheet.  Luckily, it happened quickly, so she doubts he even knew she was naked under her robe.  She was wrong.

The massage was superb. They linked pinkie fingers as the masseuse worked magic on their bodies.  The soothing oils melted into their bodies to create a relaxing and tranquil experience. The masseuse described the various oils and aromas used in the massage, but the information didn’t resonate; only the miraculous manipulation of their phenomenal fingers. Soft moans escape from their lips in response to the exquisite feeling.

The hour ended too quickly and Mulder, who had previously elected to get the sports massage, changed his mind and decided on a facial with Scully. He hopes the Lone Gunmen doesn’t find out about this because, quite frankly, they would never let him live it down. But he had to admit, his face felt clean and fresh. His second favorite part was the scalp massage they did after the facial. It was, quite frankly, fantastic. He knew if he died now, he would die a happy man. But his number one favorite part was spending time with the real reason for his happiness.  They looked at each other when they had the exfoliating mask and tried to laugh, but the mask wouldn’t allow them which made them want to laugh harder.  They suddenly sobered as they held hands and looked deep in each other’s eyes. Oh yes, he definitely liked the facial. 

Scully had been the recipient of quite a few facials over the years, but this one took the cake. Not because of the superior technique of the esthetician, but because she was sharing it with Mulder. He looked hilarious with the green facial mask on, especially when he couldn’t move his face. But watching him get the scalp massage was almost an orgasmic event. She vowed that when, or if, they become intimate, she would make scalp massages a routine occurrence. Just so she could hear the sensual sounds that came out of his mouth.

After the wonderful facial, they shared a snack, then decided to forgo the Mani Pedi to spend more time in the pool  After swimming a few laps they challenged each other to a rigorous race that Mulder won (barely), but she splashed him vigorously which forced him to take her in his arms as they lazily lapped the pool.

The time came for them to separate.  They each felt a bit of melancholy at the thought of being separated for a while. After all, they have spent almost all of their time together for the last six days. But, they were escorted to the salon where they got their hair washed and styled and were taken to the wardrobe room to choose a formal garment to wear.  Mulder decided on a traditional tuxedo while Scully struggled between a red gown with spaghetti straps and a Kelly green, off the shoulder princess style gown.  But she remembered something from several years ago that told her which one Mulder would like, in spite of his red-green color blindness.

The men gathered outside the restaurant waiting for their spouses to arrive.  They were all dressed in tuxedos and looking quite polished.  They complimented each other on their trend setting style then started telling amusing stories about their spa experience.  Corbin was especially animated as the self-described, grease covered auto mechanic loved the couples massage!  “I’ve never felt so good!  Lisa was laughing at me, but not in her usual mean way. It was great.”  Mulder had to acknowledge to them that the facial was his favorite part.  Especially when it was accompanied by the scalp massage.  “Oo-la-la”, he remarked as the other men laughed.  Even Pat admitted that he and Dee have decided to find a day spa close to home and go once a month. “I might even go naked under my robe.  I feel wonderful,” He declared as Mulder laughed. Pat continued, “I’ve always thought these things were just for women. But why can we get a little pampering sometimes if it makes us feel good. They tried to talk me into doing something with my feet but I said no, nobody bothers my feet.”

Tim jumped in, “You’re talking about a Mani Pedi.  I did that.  It was good.  Them messing with my feet was weird, but I’d do it again.  It makes you feel more put together.”

Mulder was intrigued, “We decided to forego the Mani Pedi and spend more time in the pool, but, you really liked it?”

“Sure. You need to try it.”

Pat looked at Mulder and shook his head and Mulder laughed.

Corbin told them Lisa asked if he would do it, “I didn’t want to, but she looked at my hands which has permanent grease stains under my fingernails and I thought, why not. I can do this one thing can’t I?  And look.  Look at my hands. Fingernails clean; cuticles clean. Lisa was so happy.”

They talked a while longer when suddenly, Jeff stood and simply said “whoa”.  The others looked in the direction he was looking and stood simultaneously.  Walking toward them, in what felt like slow motion, were the women in their lives; women normally clad in camping clothing, light or no makeup and their hair wind-blown.  But, these glamorous women walking toward them were stunning; dazzling in exquisite evening gowns, styled and groomed to rival any Hollywood celebrity or model.

The men all grinned happily to express their appreciation while the women reciprocated the response.  Mulder didn’t see any of the other women. He had eyes only for Scully. His Scully. Walking toward him in a blue green, off the shoulder princess gown. He thought, “I wonder if she knows that’s my favorite color”. Unbeknownst to him, Scully did know.  She has a Kelly green sweater and he mentioned once that the blue green color of her sweater is his favorite color. That's when she realized he sees Kelly green as teal. She researched so she could pinpointed the type he has and understand how he sees certain shades of green and red. Her floor length dress flared from her tiny waist as the bodice accentuated her breasts. 

Her hair was curly and had been pulled up on each side captured with a diamond clasp at the top. Wisps of hair grazed her temple but the bulk that flowed down the back was wild and exquisite. Her flawless makeup spotlighted her beautiful eyes and mouth. Mulder was enthralled. She was already strikingly beautiful, this vision she presented simply shot an arrow through his already weakened heart.

Scully fixed her eyes on Mulder as she walked direct and determined toward him; her eyes never leaving his, her face not breaking a smile as she proceeded toward her target.  He was magnificent. She loved seeing him in a tux. It reminded her of old movies she would watch with her mother and the hero of the film always looked so elegant and debonair. Her mother would say, ‘isn’t he dashing?’  She could tell her mom, ‘yes, mom, Mulder is dashing’. The stylist had styled his hair back off of his forehead which made him look more sophisticated and mature, although his hair falling on his temple would always be her favorite style.  His slight smile shook her to the core of her being. She felt like he was devouring her with his eyes. His immense pleasure at seeing her was not overt to the general public, but it was evident to her by his demeanor. She has spent the majority of her adult life competing with men for respectability. She would always dress professionally to convey her seriousness; She would style her hair in more severe manner, rather than lighthearted or flirty. She tried to keep a sober look on her face to communicate she was not to be trifled with. This was a necessary facet of the job for women who work in a predominantly male career. She understood it, accepted it and played the gender game masterfully.  There were moments, however, when she just wanted to be seen as a woman. This is one of those times. She cared nothing about the opinion of the men she was walking toward; only Mulder’s mattered to her.

She finally arrived and stood in front of him seeing he was sweating and biting his bottom lip.  That’s when she smiled.

“Hello, William.”

His voice was hoarse, “Hello, Katherine. You look, uh, you take my breath away.”

“Then, it’s a good thing I’m a doctor. By the way, you cut a dashing figure yourself.”

He smiled at that, “Dashing? Like Cary Grant?”

She took his arm as they walked into the dining room.  “Of course! I don’t know of any current male celebrities that I would call dashing or debonair.  Except maybe George Clooney or Denzel Washington. Maybe Harrison Ford.  You do know that they have all been selected the sexiest man alive in the past few years.”

“I must have missed those announcements. Was I a runner up?”

“Nope.  Sorry.”

They got to their table.  It was a table for two as were the tables for all of the campers. He held her chair for her. “Do you, uh, find them sexy?”

She pondered his question, “I think they are good looking. But sexy to me is so much more than looks. It’s integrity and character, personality, sense of humor, determination, passion. But more important, it’s the way he treats me.”  They looked at each other. “To answer the question you haven’t asked, William, I would select you as sexiest man alive way before any of those other men.”

He gave her a big grin.  “Who selects these people?”

“I think it’s People Magazine.”

The waiter asked for their drink order. Mulder eyes her, “Champagne? Wine?”

“I think champagne.”  He nodded and showed the waiter two fingers to indicate he needed to bring two of them.

“Does this magazine have sexiest woman too because I want to nominate you.”

“I don’t think they call it sexiest, I think they call it most beautiful. I didn’t pay as much attention to those issues while standing in the grocery line.”  She laughed. “I remember maybe, Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts and one or both of the girls from Friends.”

Mulder shook his head vigorously, “none of them hold a candle to you.  None.”

Their champagne arrived and they toasted each other, clinking glasses and taking a sip.

“You know, Katherine, I am going to be sad when all this is over.”

“I’m not.”  Scully stated emphatically, Mulder looked surprised so she explained. “Don’t get me wrong, this has been fabulous. But I’m ready to get back to the real world and start living.  I feel like I’ve been painstakingly cautious with … me. Putting up barriers and walls to protect myself.  Well, I’m ready to let go a little and live.”

Mulder was thrilled.  “Me too.  ME TOO.  In fact, I was wondering if you wanted to come back up here sometime, bring a tent and do one of those massages again.”

Scully giggled. “You liked that, huh?”

“That scalp massage changed my life.” He acknowledged.

“I do a pretty good scalp massage myself.”

Mulder looked staggered. “I think I lost all feeling in my body.”

Luckily, the waiter came to take their order.  Mulder looked embarrassed, “I’m sorry, we haven’t even looked at the menu, can you come back in a few minutes.”

The agents then perused the menu and chose their meal, eager to get back to their conversation; knowing the night was just beginning and from the look in their eyes, anything could happen.

 

TO BE CONTINUED.

 


	13. WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Dinner was exceptional. While the quality of the food was wonderful, enjoying it together is what made it perfect. They fed each other bites from their plate, drank wine, laughed and talked.  They relived special moments like sharing cotton candy, riding the zip line, enjoying the tandem bike ride, and the couples massage.  After dessert, they held hands across the table and knew this evening was just beginning.

A band took to the stage and started playing; encouraging the campers to dance. The first song they performed was “Because You Loved Me”. Although it was originally sung by Celine Dion, the female singer was doing an superb job conveying the message of the song.  Mulder immediately asked Scully to dance.  They joined Tim and Carla as well as Dee and Pat, but, to be honest, they didn’t notice.  They only had eyes for each other.

The band continued the romantic atmosphere by entertaining their audience with more Celine Dion songs.  Mulder and Scully stayed on the dance floor swaying in each other’s arms. Midway through one of the songs, Scully noticed movement at the back of the room.  It was hard to see with the darkness of the room mixed with the lighting from the stage, but it appears like there is a heavy curtain across the back wall; and there is something is making the curtain move slightly.  She whispered these details to Mulder who discreetly panned the room to make sure everybody was accounted for. Dr. Jake was sitting at the bar area chatting with one of the waitresses. Not far from the curtain. 

Scully whispered to Mulder as they continued to dance.

“Someone is behind that curtain, Mulder.”

“It could simply be workers, maybe clean-up crew.”

“It could be, but to me, it looks like somebody is searching for something.” Scully noticed.

“Do we know what is behind the curtain?”

“I assumed it was a wall, maybe this is just part of a larger room and the curtain separates the area.”

“We need to check it out.  Act like we need some alone time and we’re going to step outside.”

“Got it.”  Scully put an incredibly sultry look on her face, kissed Mulder passionately, then grabbed his hand and walked him to the door.  Anybody watching would not mistake her intention.

When they got outside, they looked around, noted where their weapons were strapped, and walked to the door past the ballroom. Mulder directed Scully to stand behind him while he checked the door. It was unlocked, he drew his weapon and opened it slowly. The room was dark, but he could make out the silhouettes of two people at the curtain; one was holding a rifle and the other was desperately trying to locate a break in the curtain. 

He nodded at Scully who drew the weapon attached to her ankle.  They slowly and quietly entered the room, the music from the ballroom masking any sound they would make.  Although it was dark, one of the people had finally found the break in the curtain and opened it slightly which allowed enough light to make out the situation. 

“FBI. Now lower the rifle slowly and put it on the floor, stand up and turn around with your hands on the back of your head.”

The two followed Mulder’s instructions and when they turned around, Mulder and Scully were surprised to see the two college students, Jess and Maya looking back at them with fear in their eyes.  Mulder handed Scully the handcuffs and she walked over and handcuffed them. 

“I’ll hold them here while you find a room we can take them to.”  Mulder instructed.

When Scully left, Mulder asked, “so what exactly were you planning to do with that rifle?”  The kids looked at each other but stayed silent.

Scully came back and directed them to an office down the hall that was not being used at the time.  She immediately called Skinner to report they found the people trying to hurt Dr. Lawrence.  Skinner instructed them to stay put, he was getting a helicopter and would be right there.  She gave him logistics and smirked at Mulder. “Skinner’s on his way via helicopter.”

“Really? So, we just wait?”

“I guess.  Think they miss us in the ballroom?”

“After the show you put on when we left, I think they know where we are.” Mulder winked at her.

Scully smiled as she left the room. Mulder watched her leave then thought about their dance; holding her in his arms, her head fitting perfectly on his shoulder, her lips gently touching his neck. He sure wouldn’t mind one more dance with Scully. He sighed, then cleared his throat -- duty calls.

He made sure the couple was secure, then pulled a chair in front of them, turned it around and straddled it.

“Jess … Maya … you want to tell me why you were pointing a rifle into the ballroom?”

"You're just a reporter, you don't have any right to handcuff us." Jess insisted. "And why did you and a surgeon have guns?"

"Citizens arrest.  Why don't you just tell me why you pointed a rifle into that ballroom?" Mulder was getting bored and frustrated.

The kids didn’t say anything.  Jess looked belligerent, but Maya was steadily crying.

After about 15 minutes, Scully walked back in and pulled a chair up next to Mulder who was rocking his chair.  She showed him her phone.

“Jess and Maya Walker are registered with the lodge as part of the support staff of Dr. Jacob Lawrence.  _However_ , a database search for Jess and Maya Walker comes up blank.  I do believe that Jess and Maya are not who they say they are, what do you think,  Mulder?”

That got Jess’ attention, “Who’s Mulder?”

Mulder stopped rocking, smiled and pulled out his identification. “FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder. This is special agent Dana Scully.  And you are?”

The kids looked at each other and Maya started sobbing harder.

"You're not Will and Kate?" Jess asked.

"Nope" replied Mulder with a grin. "We're lawmen, Cowboy. Now, why don't we start over.  Who are you?"

Jess remained hostile and turned his head away.  Maya ... still crying.

Tired of the two of them playing games, Scully leaned forward giving her attention to Maya. “Maya, the two of you were found with a loaded rifle pointed into a ballroom full of people. This is not going to end up well for you, do you understand?”

Maya looked terrified and started crying more, Jess was clearly upset now, “Leave her alone. Please. She hasn’t done anything. It was me.  It was all me.”

“No Robbie, it wasn’t just you, it was me too.”

Mulder bites his lips and squints his eyes at his two suspects.

“Both of you were employed as marriage retreat staff.  We know that the campers were drugged. The dessert was distributed by the two of you. Now we find you pointing a rifle at the campers.  I agree with … “ he looked at Maya, “We know who three of us are, might as well tell us your name too?”

“I’m Rachel. Robbie’s my brother.”

Robbie jumped in, “I’ll tell you everything if you make sure nothing happens to Rachel.”

“No, Robbie, quit trying to protect me.” She looked at Scully, “We weren’t going to hurt anybody. I swear.”

Scully stood up and helped Rachel get up.  “C’mon, Rachel. Come talk to me.”

Mulder moved closer to Robbie. “Who was your target, Robbie. Dr. Lawrence?”

Robbie then started crying as well and Mulder rolled his eyes.

As they waited for Robbie and Rachel to calm down, there was a knock at the door.  Scully opened it and found their A.D. Walter Skinner and … the head of the FBI, Robert Markham. 

After introductions were made, the agents went over how they discovered and apprehended the suspects.

“The suspects passed themselves off as Jess and Maya Walker. They were assistants to Dr. Jacob Lawrence. We discovered the day after we arrived that the campers were being drugged and the suspects were the ones distributing the desserts that included the drug. I ingested the drug, but Agent Scully did not. After catching them pointing a rifle at the ballroom, we discovered that Jess and Maya Walker was an alias and their real names were Robbie and Rachel, we have not ascertained their last name yet, but once we get fingerprints off of the rifle ....  ”  

Skinner jumped in. “Thank you agents, we will take it from here, you are free to return to your dinner.”

The agents looked at one another then Mulder spoke.  “With all due respect, we haven’t completed our interrogation or even started an investigation  into the suspects.

“Mulder, the case is over…”

Scully interrupted him, “What do you mean the case is over? What about the drugs? One of the people that ingested these drugs was a Federal Agent and these two …?

Skinner looked angry, “You have been given your orders, agents.”

Skinner walked over to the suspects and instructed them to stand and follow him.

“Mulder, remove their handcuffs.”

Mulder walked over to Skinner, “Sir, we have spent seven days undercover looking for someone who intended to harm Dr. Lawrence. I was drugged multiple times but we continued to perform our duty, I think we deserve to know the truth from our assistant director.”

It was silent in the room when Director Markham spoke quietly, “It’s OK, A.D. Skinner. You told me they had more integrity than any of your other agents put together …and you were right.  Go ahead agents, you may interrogate the suspects.”

Mulder, slightly stunned, walked over to Robbie and Rachel and sat down.  “Let’s start from the beginning. Your real names are Robbie and Rachel … what?”

Rachel looked at the two older agents then back to Mulder.  “Markham.”

Mulder and Scully looked at each other with sudden clarity.

Mulder said quietly, “Markham.  OK. Why did you make up an alias to go work with Dr. Lawrence.”

Robbie answered, “We didn’t want him to know who we were.”

“Is Dr. Lawrence the person the rifle was pointing at?”

Rachel jumped in, “We weren’t trying to kill him, we weren’t even trying to hit him.”

Mulder continued, “how do you know Dr. Lawrence?”

Robbie looked over at the older Markham, then back at the agents.  “Last year, my parents went to one of Dr. Jake’s camping retreats. When they got back home, my mother suddenly stated she was leaving us because she was in love with Dr. Lawrence and was moving in with him. My Dad was devastated. Rachel and I had just gotten back from college and everybody was screaming. She was going to take my younger brothers and sister and Dad said no and it was horrible. She ended up leaving the kids home but Dad drinks all the time and she has gone to court. How can they come back from a marriage counseling retreat and immediately destroy their family?” The boy put his head in his hands.

“What happened next?” Mulder prompted and Rachel responded.

“We did some investigating on the web and made some phone calls and discovered Dr. Jake has a reputation of sleeping with one of his campers.  We thought if we could prove to Mom that he’s a jerk, then she would come back home. So we finagled our way into interning. We did the camping retreat last month where we just observed, then, we came up with our plan for this retreat.”

“What was your plan, Robbie?” Scully inquired.

“We would put recording equipment in his tent and get proof. And at the end, we should shoot into the ballroom to scare Dr. Jake as well as the campers. We  just wanted to scare him and his campers as we try to ruin his reputation.”

Rachel added, “we recorded everything and planned to make it public what he does with his campers.

Mulder leaned forward, “were you responsible for the attacks on Dr. Jake over the last few months?”

Robbie nodded, “We didn’t hurt him, we just tried to scare him, but mom stayed with him anyway. We knew we needed proof to convince mom and ruining his reputation would be a plus.”

Scully looked at the two kids who looked sad and dejected, “How did you know he would sleep with one of the campers?”

Rachel smiled, “because he always does. He decides on the first night who it will be and also chooses a backup. We were instructed to put a drug into her cobbler; hers and the backups.  And the rest of the campers were given a dose of melatonin in their cobbler to make them sleep. The husbands of the two that were chosen were given a double dose.”

This peeked Scully’s interest, “what was the drug?”

“I don’t know.  It’s supposed to make them jittery and make them need to walk around. When they do, he invites the one he chose back to his tent.  If the other one shows up, he will give her a dose of melatonin, but say something to her to keep her interested in case his #1 doesn’t work out.”

Scully continued, “So, Lisa was his number one?”

Rachel and Robbie looked at each other, “No … you were.”

Mulder sits up, “What?”

Robbie answered, “Kate is who he chose and Lisa was his backup.  But Kate never came out wandering around.  Lisa did, though, so she became the one.”

Scully stated, “I didn’t eat the cobbler. I gave it to Mulder.”

Rachel hesitated, “Can I ask … are you two married? 

Scully replied, “No. We’re not.

Rachel was shocked, “But you’re so in love!”

Mulder looked embarrassed as he glanced at A.D. Skinner, “Uh, we’re excellent undercover agents.”

Robbie remarked, “You fooled me.”

Scully said, “Let’s get back to drugging the cobbler. How is it that Agent Mulder, or Will was given a double dose of melatonin and whatever the drug was in my cobbler but didn’t suffer any effects?”

Mulder answered her, “I only ate the crust on top of yours and didn’t eat any of the pears or the juice.”

Rachel nodded, “That’s where we put the drug … in the juice.”

Scully continued with her questioning, “After the first night when I did not show up ‘wandering’, did you continue to drug my dessert?”

Rachel nodded, “yes, just one more night, then dr. Jake said to just give you melatonin.”

Scully asked, “I also put surveillance up and never saw you around the campsite through the night, why is that?”

“We didn’t need to. We set up the tents and had all the cameras and recorders set up in his tent before anybody got there. It was linked to our computers, so we could watch in our tent.” Robbie offered.

“When I viewed our surveillance, one night Belinda came out of Jake’s tent.  This started the fight with Lisa. Was she chosen and drugged also?”

“No, she really did just want to talk.”

“Where did you get the rifle?” Mulder inquired.

“From our dad.  It’s his hunting gun.”

The agents looked at each other, excused themselves and walked to the two directors. “I think we have a good idea of what happened here.” Mulder stated. 

Director Markham sighed deeply, “You obviously realize they are my grandchildren. My son and daughter-in-law have embarked on a devastating road that has shattered their children, even their two almost grown children.”

“When did you know it was them?” Mulder had to ask.

“I used to be a pretty good special agent myself. Once I knew their mother has left the home and moved in with Lawrence, I did some checking. My daughter-in-law can be flighty and irrational and my son can backslide into alcoholism. More than once, I’ve had to remove the children and bring them home with me. Which I have done this time as well. I noticed a change in the twins, uh, Robbie and Rachel. They were secretive and secured internships they refused to tell me about. Of course, I found out.  Agents,” he paused, “I’d like to take them home with me. There was no crime, maybe intent to scare, but …”

Scully spoke up, “I tend to agree with you, however, they participated in drugging people without their knowledge.”

Director Markham looked down, but A.D. Skinner spoke  up.  “Agents, in light of the information we have gathered here, I’d prefer to treat the twins as witnesses rather than criminals as I prefer to go after Dr. Lawrence for drugging his patients.  We don’t know how long he’s been drugging and manipulating the people who have put their faith in him.  I’d like to do a more in depth investigation into his actions.  As far as the twins go, I recommend we turn the twins over to their grandfather and let me handle Dr. Lawrence.”

The agents were quiet, but they reluctantly nodded.  Skinner continued, “I’d like your report by Friday. I’d also like you to keep this quiet, including here. We don’t want Lawrence trying to cover his tracks. Is that a problem?”

The agents both smiled, “No sir, we will complete this assignment and be back in the office by Friday with our report.”  Mulder answered,

When the agents returned to the ballroom, they were immediately met by Dee and Pat.  Dee exclaimed,  “Where have you been? We haven’t seen you in ages!”

Mulder put his arm around Scully and said, “we got a room.”  He shrugged his shoulders and Scully put her face in her hands.

Pat laughed and patted Mulder on the back, “you old dog.”

“C’mon, babe, let’s dance.” Mulder took Scully’s hand and led her to the dance floor.

For the next few hours, they danced, chatted with the other campers and just enjoyed their time.  The case was over and real life starts tomorrow.  They were not ready to give it up yet.  Nerves gripped both of them as the shuttle took them back to the campsite at about 2:00 a.m.  They gently held hands as they walked toward their tent.  Their minds racing with thought.  What happens next?  

 

TO BE CONTINUED.


	14. Wednesday Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their case solved and the undercover assignment is over. What happens next.

 

LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT

The agents walked slowly into the tent. Scully stopped at the end of the bed while Mulder started removing his tuxedo tie and cummerbund. He looked up and realized she had not moved since she first walked in the tent. Her mind racing with need and desire clashing with feelings of fear and uncertainty.

“You okay?” he asked.

She didn’t reply.

His face shows concern as he walks over to her.

“Scully?”

She slowly turns around.

“I… Mulder.”

His hand reaches out to touch your face.

“What’s wrong?”

 She looks at him and leans forward to kiss him lightly on the lips.

“Scully.”

She puts her finger up to his lips.

“No more words”

She leans in to deepen the kiss and he takes her in his arms. Their mouths forge a union - lips to lips and tongue to tongue. They reluctantly break apart.

“Scu…”

She puts her finger to his lips.  “Please, Mulder. No more words.”

He takes her face in his hands and peppers her with feather light kisses.  He nips at her neck and teases her ear with his mouth.  She swallows her nerves and unbuttons his pristine shirt. She opens it to expose the scar that symbolizes the night she almost ruined her career while attempting to save Mulder from himself.  She lightly touches it, then leans down to kiss the scar.  Mulder catches his breath and turns her around to unzip her dress. He watches it slowly fall to the floor. She slowly turns to look at him.  His breath catches again as he see her sans dress.  He openly looks her up and down, devouring her fit body wearing an onyx black strapless bra with matching underwear and thigh highs. The sheer magnificence of this woman sends shivers through his body.

He grabs her face and kisses her with passion.  She guides him to the bed and encourages him to sit down so she could kneel in front of him to remove his shoes, socks and trousers; something she does with delicate precision.  His hands, in the meantime, cannot be contained, they are roaming freely in her hair; on her face and neck.  With the impediment of his outer clothing gone, she stands and helps him stand up. They kiss fiercely and fall onto the bed. 

They lay side by side kissing almost continuously. Mulder starts to speak but Scully stops him once again.  They remove the remainder of their clothes and continue kissing with frenetic urgency. Then, suddenly everything slows down; as if their bodies told their minds to relax; don’t rush; let their bodies take control.

Mulder’s hands tenderly stroke her body as she did the same. His tongue teases her ear as she thrusts her hands into his hair. They allow their bodies to roam freely. He tenderly touches her breasts but removes the contact immediately. Perhaps it was the touch that ignites the reality check that hit Mulder like a bullet and made him tense.  Was he doing this? Can he do this? Should he do this?  Before he could come to a conclusion, she starts moving to get under him.  He shifts his body so she is laying beneath him and she wraps her legs around him.  From this vantage point, he looks down at her face.  Her exquisite face.  Her eyes are shut, but tears are forming behind her eyelids.  Fear sweeps through him until she slowly opens them.  Their eyes then meet and spend a few seconds acknowledging and soothing each other’s fears and doubts.  He leans down and kisses her gently.

With fears gone, their kiss morphs into a passionate encounter that stimulates them both physically and emotionally. Whatever question he had vanished as he slowly entered her.  The sensation of being inside this amazing creature was not lost on him.  He felt overwhelmed, emotional and incredulous.  His previous sexual encounters were exactly that, sexual. This was not; well, not completely. This experience merged his mind, body and soul; like an out of body experience that he is simply observing from above while his soul directed his body and mind into movement.  He tensed once again at the significance but almost immediately closed his eyes and let it happen.

Reality hit Scully about the same time it tormented Mulder.  She tried to fight the tears. After all, she wanted this desperately, but fear gripped her. However, when she opened her eyes and saw him looking back, nothing else existed but the two of them. She felt him entering her.  Slowly, almost with reverence, or perhaps fear.  They moved perfectly together as if their bodies choreographed the event for maximum pleasure.  She was taken by his tenderness and the pure love emitting from him.  She knew he was holding back, keeping the passion at bay. Part of her ached to force the quenching of their urges, but she also holds back matching his movements precisely. Quite frankly, she has never felt so loved or so precious in her life.

Their bodies erupt with their release coming only seconds apart.  They don’t move and they don't speak. Mulder eventually rolls off of Scully and lay on his back.  His breathing slowing down some, he looks over at her.  She is staring at the ceiling with a devastated look on her face.  Fear tightens his stomach.

“Scully?  Are you ok?”

She doesn’t move.  He takes her hand.

“Scully?”

“Do you want to take a shower first?”

“No. I want to know what’s wrong?”

“Fine. I’ll shower.”  She tries to get up, but he stops her.

“Scully, talk to me.”

She lays back down, and her eyes fill with tears.

“It’s nothing Mulder.”  He rolls over to face her.

“Are, are you sorry?”

She recognizes the vulnerability in his voice and looks at him.

“No.  Mulder. No.”

“Then talk to me.”

“We… we crossed the line, Mulder.”

“I…I know. But, we talked about it.”

“I know we did.  But we were going to take it slow, see how it worked with the job.  We haven’t even had a proper date. This week clouded everything. We…we should have waited until we were away from here. Until we got back to normal and then …”

“I know, but ... 

"We decided how we were going to go forward. It was this week, it messed with me.  Otherwise, how could I have ..."

"Hey, sometimes things happen."

"Not to me."

Mulder thought for moment before he spoke.  "I have a theory about that.”

“A theory?  Mulder,  …”

“Just, just, just hear me out.”  Scully sighed and rolled her eyes before looking back at him and nodding.

“You said _we_ crossed the line. But who is we?”

Scully started to speak, and Mulder stopped her.  “ _Who_ is we?  You said this week clouded everything.  What happened this week?  We became Kate and Will.  I know these were personas we adopted for the job, but somehow, something happened. A part of you became Kate.  And a part of me became Will.  Stay with me here while I try to explain. It all starts with Dana and Fox.  Let me tell you about Dana.  Dana is the curator of all things Dana Katherine Scully, the one that archives memories of past relationships and familial dreams long past decided. She is the guardian of her heart and soul.  Dana relies on many things to make important decisions, but more than anything, she relies on that part of her that I call Scully.  Smart, cautious, fascinating Scully.  She’s my hero, you know. She’s beautiful, of course, with eyes that speak volumes.  I can tell what she’s thinking just by looking in her eyes and, uh, watching her eyebrows.”   Scully smiled.

“She has the most beautiful and expressive eyes that sometimes, I just look into them and let myself soar in their depths.  She has a wonderful smile which I do not see very much, because, you see, she is very serious about her work, about her science. She’s had to be. She’s had to battle for respect in a disrespectful world. She isn’t arrogant or hostile, but she is adamant in her truth. Me? I throw theories around like Mardi Gras beads, but she’s cautious and thoughtful. She questions me, challenges me, disagrees with me, makes me work hard to validate my beliefs.  She’s made me a better investigator, a better agent, a better man.  She always has my back, and my front and both sides too when I think about it. “ He laughed. And she smiled through teary eyes. “She respects me and has helped me respect myself. Scully means everything to me. She’s my friend, my partner, my… family. I was, and still am, prepared to live the rest of my life just like we were if it means the rest of my life has Scully in it. To be honest, I’m not sure Scully or Mulder would have ever allowed us to cross that line.” Scully scoots closer to Mulder as he continues.

"Then this week happened.  And a part of you became Kate.  Can I tell you about Kate?”

She nodded. He propped his head on his hand as he looked at her.  “Kate.  Ooh-la-la.  She’s amazing.  She gorgeous, for sure, but she has these eyes that shine when she’s happy.  They, they, they literally sparkle.  Like when we were eating cotton candy, I couldn’t stop looking at her eyes.  And her laugh!  If I had to put a sound to angels singing in Heaven, it would be Kate’s laugh. It warms my soul.  It’s like sunshine in my ears.  She’s adventurous and a bit of a daredevil. She throws caution to the wind just so she can have the ultimate experience.  And, and, oh my God, she’s funny, you have no idea how funny she is.  I can still see her imitating a bald eagle.  But that’s not all.  She’s also sweet, she’s kind, she’s sexy as hell.  She stole my heart the first day here.  Kate is …. Kate is ….  Kate is you.  Not some persona. Not a character.  She’s you.  Not all of you, but a part of you.  Kate is what Scully can’t be or won’t be.  A little wild and crazy.” They both laughed. 

She looks at Mulder with tenderness, “I understand what you’re saying, but…”

“Not quite done yet.  You see, I think this week encouraged Dana to let that part of her that is ‘kate’, to come alive and Dana saw that it was OK.  Kate is not Scully and vice versa, but they are both part of Dana. Both have a purpose that fulfills Dana's needs.  That’s my theory.  Dana is "we".  She made us cross the line.  And since Dana’s the smartest person I’ve ever known, I think it’s probably a perfect decision.”

Scully just looks at him.  Thinking about what he said.

"Look, I was having doubts and fears when we were, uh, you know and I know you did too.  But I looked at you and your eyes told me it was OK.  I think that was Dana telling Fox to trust her and I trust nobody else.  You have to admit that you and I have a lot of baggage that we carry with us everywhere we go. Scully and Mulder somehow get us through work and our search for the truth. But tonight, Kate and Will gave us, or at least me, a chance to push the world away and simply live.  

Scully smiled and pondered what he said. “I think I understand what you’re saying.  But is the same thing happening with Fox,  Will and Mulder?”

“Uh… no,  Fox is horny for Dana, Will is horny for Kate and Mulder is horny for Scully. That’s it. Not much more complicated than that.”

She laughed out loud which made Mulder’s spirit soar.

“I think you are wonderfully complicated. And I could do a beautiful analysis of my wounded Fox and fabulous Will and…” she starts to tear up again, “my beautiful and perfect Mulder.”  She sniffs and wipes her eyes. “But, Kate is feeling a bit, um, naughty.  Dana approves.”

Mulder grinned “Uh, Kate is feeling naughty?”

“yep.” She rubs on his chest.

“How, how naughty?”

“Well, I’d like to spend some time communicating with, um, a very important part of you.  I call him, Willie.”

Mulder looked at her.  “Willie?”

She looks under the cover to indicate exactly what she was referring to.

“Wait a minute, you named it Willie? Are you serious?

“I couldn’t think of another name.” She explained.

“What about, what about, how about Stud or Rock.  Oh, oh, I know, Stryker.”

“Isn’t that a soap opera name?”

“I don’t know, but … Willie? That sounds so …”

“I like little Willie.”

Mulder groaned. “No, no, no.  No little Willie.”

Scully laughed.  “Hey, it’s my name and my fantasy and isn’t it more important that I want to chat with … Willie?”

“I guess.  OK, if we’re doing this, I’d like to spend some quality time with the girls.”

“The girls?”

“I didn’t give them names; I just call them… right and left.” They both start laughing.

 

“So, agent Mulder, are you ready for another undercover assignment. We should start soon because I have some intense questioning to do.”

“I’ll go undercover with you any time you say, Agent Scully.”

They look at each other then dive deep undercover.

 

THE END

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end of the series. I'm working on ideas for when they get back to work and navigate through their work, their relationship and outside influences. Stay tuned.


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